Beauty Takes on the Beast
by ericastwilight
Summary: I was about to break a promise to watch out for my best friend's baby sister. I was the worst thing that could ever happen to her, but I wasn't about let that stop me from having my Beauty. Third place winner in the public vote for the BDE Contest!
1. The Big Introduction

**AN: One of my entries for the Biggest Dick Ever Contest, it won third place in the public vote. Thanks to all those involved in the contest, you've all been amazing and supportive. Thanks to Midnight Cougar for all your help with this monster ;)**

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 **Beauty Takes on The Beast**

 **Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement intended.**

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I looked around my best friend's childhood home, satisfied with the work I'd completed since taking on the job. Emmett Swan had asked me to renovate the home he and his sister had inherited. Em didn't want any memories of their painful past to ruin his baby sister's return, but having his deployment extended longer than expected, he wouldn't be there to welcome her home.

It was up to me, and some of our friends, Jasper, Eric, and Tyler, to do that for Emmett.

The four of us formed a construction and landscaping company named The Four Horseman Services, and it kept us busy. The company was originally Cullen & Sons Construction; my fraternal grandfather left it and some money to me after he passed. It was the reason I moved from Seattle to Forks in the first place, where the business thrived. I had hired Emmett, Jasper, Eric, and Tyler during the summer before their senior year of high school, and they'd worked alongside me ever since. Emmett planned to rejoin us after he retired from the service, so he'd be close to his family.

Emmett always talked about his sister and how smart she was, graduating high school at fourteen when he was barely sixteen. I had moved to the area after college, and Emmett's sister had already left for some fancy school back east. From all the stories Emmett told me, along with some of our friends, she was like a little sister to me, too; even though, we'd never officially met.

We all planned to watch out for her while her brother was gone for possibly another three months.

My cell phone rang from the clip on my tool belt, answering it with a grunt. I wasn't the social sort.

" _Morning to you, too."_ Emmett loved to give me shit for hating to talk on phones. I had no time for bullshit, talking via technology included.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm busy. What's up?" I groaned as I rose from my knees, cursing my dick for the tenth time that morning. Installing hardwood floors on my knees and being well-endowed did not mix too well.

There was a considerable amount of adjusting involved, and I wasn't even hard or anything.

" _Please tell me it's not your dick that's up, Edward."_ Emmett also loved to make fun of my big dick issues.

"One time I answered while I was fucking my ex, one time. Are you ever going to let me live it down?"

" _Be honest, bro. You answered my call knowing she'd get pissed and break up with your ass."_

It was true, but I wasn't about to admit it.

"What do you need?" I had work to do, and I wasn't going to get shit done if I was busy flapping my lips.

" _How's everything going? You need any more money?"_

"Everything is on schedule and should be done before she comes home in a couple weeks." I walked over to the kitchen island I installed last month after tearing down the wall between the living room and kitchen, allowing a more open feel to the space. My notes were a mess, but I saw nothing I couldn't handle. As a solid, I wasn't charging Emmett for my labor. Emmett had no clue and would probably bitch about it later. "I'm not over budget yet, so we're good on the money."

" _I wish I could be there when she gets home."_

It wasn't hard to miss the longing in Emmett's voice; the man loved and missed his little sister fiercely. He was protective of her, had been all his life. From what Emmett had shared of their childhood, I'd be protective, too.

"I'm sure she wishes the same thing, Emmett." I understood. My little sister Rosie was a pain in the ass, but I missed her since she moved away to pursue her dreams in New York.

" _Just make sure Jake, Peter, and James keep their hands off her."_

I snorted, agreeing with Emmett, though surprised I wasn't included in the list. I didn't exactly blame the guy; Jake, Peter, and James were grade-A assholes and had enough notches on their bedposts to make them collapse.

I was an asshole too, but more like a C+ —not too bad, but not so innocent either. It wasn't too long ago I learned to keep women at dick's length, because most didn't stick around. At least, not for the right reasons. They wanted all my time, my money, but complained non-stop about my work ethics and hours. Construction meant early days and late evenings, sometimes well past dinner to ensure everything was ready for an inspection the next day.

Emmett and I ended the call after I promised to take a few pictures of his sister in her newly remodeled kitchen when she arrived. Apparently, the child prodigy loved to cook; the fancy shit though, which was a shame.

I liked things simple, none of that froo-froo crap. Give me some meat and potatoes any day of the week.

I headed out to the garage, passing the photos on the mantle above the fireplace I brought back to life the previous week, and stopped to examine them more closely. Emmett and Isabella's father, Charlie, died in the line of duty when they were young; after that, their mother seemed to forget they existed. The pictures of Emmett and Bella stopped shortly after their father died. Emmett had to have been ten, his sister only eight at the time; she was a cute, tiny thing. There were more photos, but the rest were of their mother with friends, alone, or with various men.

It didn't paint such a nice childhood.

I was a lucky bastard when it came to family. My deadbeat biological father disappeared when I was five, but my mother met the best kind of man a couple years later. Carlisle didn't see Rose and me as burdens, and he became our father in every sense of the word.

If I were the one coming home for the first time in years, I wouldn't want to see pictures of the woman who pretended I didn't exist until the day she died. I found a box in the garage and removed all the photos of the late Renee Swan, after checking with Emmett, who agreed wholeheartedly.

I checked the time and decided to finish the hardwood floor before heading home. The only thing I was looking forward to later, was an empty house, some nuked hot pockets, and some soft-core porn. Or maybe I'd crash in the guest bedroom, so I wouldn't feel so alone.

.

.

.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling the tension in them and a headache forming later that night. I needed a massage and a visit to my chiropractor. A chuckle slipped through my lips, laughing at something Jasper said across the table, despite the fact I had no idea what the fucker was saying.

My friends somehow convinced me to come by the one bar in Forks for a couple drinks and hot wings _._ After a twelve-hour workday, my back and knees ached, and being surrounded by people wasn't my idea of a good time. Then again, any social activity was not on my list of favorite things to do.

That list only had three things on it: fucking, riding my Harley, and making something out of piles of wood.

"How're the renovations coming along?" Eric asked, taking a sip of his beer. "That place was a mess last time Emmett was here."

"It really fucking was." I shook my head. "I'm glad I never met Renee because she literally let the house fall apart."

Jasper nodded, a cold look coming over his usually vibrant, blue eyes. "She had plenty of insurance money and Charlie's pension. There was no reason for that bullshit. We had some good memories up in the tree house, in the back five acres, until she tore it down so Baby B's friends would stop coming over and bother her."

 _What a bitch,_ I thought.

"Can't believe B's moving back home." Eric chuckled, his smile reaching his light green eyes. "Do you remember that time she stood up to her bully Mike?"

Jasper cracked up, his eyes warming once more. "She put Newton in his place. He still hates M&M's."

"What did she do?" I asked, my eyes on a cute brunette at the bar. I'd seen her the moment she walked in, fucking gorgeous curves and a terrific smile. She'd laugh at something her friend said, throwing her long waves back, and pushing out her tits. I loved long hair, but hers made me salivate with the need to wrap it around my hand to pull, and to feel it brush down my stomach. The ends skimmed the top of her ass, as she slipped onto the stool and ordered a drink.

"Bella filled his car with the candy, like every inch of the interior. He was still finding M&M's two years later." Jasper ran his hand through his shaggy, blond hair, still self-conscious about it.

Jasper's last girlfriend gave him so much shit about keeping his hair fashionable and his face freshly shaved. After the relationship ended, he let his hair grow out and grew a beard. He had nothing to worry about, though; with all the tattoos and beard, he had women hanging all over him. Not that Jasper was interested much. He took advantage on occasion, but not like Eric and Tyler.

My friends saw a lot more action than I did, only because I had to be choosy. I loved women of all shapes and sizes; the problem was only a select few could handle _The Beast._ The name was given to my dick in high school after some asshole pantsed me in the middle of the cafeteria in front of most of the students.

I still wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse that it happened. Braces, glasses, and a too lanky body didn't exactly get any of the girls' attention, before having my dick exposed. After that, I couldn't keep names, numbers, and faces straight.

My first time was a disaster; she was a virgin and cried for an hour afterward. Broke up with me soon after, indicating _it_ was "just too big." After that, I didn't even try again until college. Too scared of hurting another girl like poor Becky Gonzales. It hardly helped that she told some of the other girls about _The Beast._

I took my eyes off the dark-eyed beauty, turning back to my friends. "How did she fill a car with candy?"

"She stole Mike's car keys at one point, rigged a paint hopper to spit out the M&Ms while everyone was in a rally in the cafeteria."

"Newton is an asshole," I clearly stated.

I knew the fucking prick. Mike was a cheapskate, never wanting to pay for work done. Thought he was hot shit, when I knew Mike had a tiny prick. Well, that was according to his wife. She was one of the women who had made it their mission to fuck me. Jessica was easy enough to avoid, but I loathed Mike and refused to work for the couple ever again. The Horsemen being one of the only construction companies in the area, it was Mike's biggest mistake to mess with us; especially, with the money pit he recently purchased.

"What did he do to her to deserve that?" I had to know.

"Mike kept copying her homework or tests, bugging her during class." Eric's lips thinned, anger coating his words. "Someone said he slapped her ass the first time she wore tight jeans. She was barely fourteen. It took three of us to pry Emmett off Mike when he found out."

Jasper's glacial stare was back. "He made it worse by saying he was only messing with her because he liked her. Should've seen our little spitfire; though, she honestly looked like a demon that day."

The others all agreed.

It was times like those, I wished I had moved to the area sooner and met Bella before she graduated early. She never returned home, having Emmett and her surrogate brothers come to her for visits. Having never met her, I didn't tag along the few times. I was the _new_ friend, and I hadn't felt like intruding then; hopefully, that would change.

"Last time I saw her was over three years ago for her twenty-first birthday. When is she coming home?" Jasper asked, taking the last drink of his beer. "Next month, right?"

I took a healthy drink of my beer, my eyes shifting away from the beauty again. "Sooner. Emmett thinks she's running away from something."

The guys all puffed out their chests, their eyes turning heated with anger. It appeared Bella really did have three overprotective brothers while Emmett was gone. I had a feeling she was going to _love_ that shit.

My baby sister sure didn't like it when I went into big brother mode.

"Like boyfriend troubles?" Eric asked, concern taking over. "She's kind of small, but I know she took self-defensive classes on top of what we taught her."

"It better not be an ex." Jasper popped his knuckles, but something caught his eye at the bar. His eyes were directed at the same brunette I had my eyes on.

I hadn't decided yet on whether to approach her. Confusion furrowed Jasper's brow, but he said nothing. Did he know her? If there was no history between them, she wasn't off limits to me. I'd have to wait and see. "Emmett would risk a court martial and go AWOL for her."

Tyler sat back, tapping his bottle on the table. "He has nothing to worry about. We'll take care of Baby B."

They all tipped up their beers, coming to an agreement of watching out for Bella Swan when she returned home.

"I'm heading out." I groaned as I stood; my knees were killing me. The guys bitched about me leaving since I was supposed to buy the next round. "Keep your panties on. I'll buy you all a round before I go."

"I'll buy three rounds the next time we get together if you take someone home tonight." Jasper had a gleam in his eye that I didn't trust for shit. The fucker was up to something. "You need to get laid, man. You've been an ornery sonuvabitch lately."

Tyler threw back his head and laughed, his dimples making an appearance in his dark skin. "Is that why he's been working so much?"

"Fuck you, assholes." I grabbed my leather jacket, taking up Jasper's challenge. I never backed away from one. "See you at six a.m. sharp on Monday."

My friends groaned, but they all knew it was best to roof first thing in the morning while it was still cool.

I headed to the bar, seeing the brunette beauty alone made me steer toward the stool beside her. The women I'd seen talking to her were gone, which boded well for me. She smelled fucking amazing, all sex and sin.

 _I want to taste her._

She hadn't noticed me; even though, most women did the moment I stood in the room. Maybe she wasn't looking for company. I turned to talk to her, but before I had a chance to go in for the kill with one of my smiles, a cute blonde bumped into my bad shoulder, smiling up at me.

The brunette beauty was making it a point to ignore me, and I swore I saw her roll her eyes. Huh, she really wasn't interested.

 _Oh well, her loss._

"I'm sorry about that." The blonde looked me up and down, lingering on my left hand. Checking out if I was married? Was she one of those type of woman that hoped I was?

During my very short marriage to my college _nightmare_ , I'd met women who preferred the company of a married man. They loved the idea of stealing someone's man or even making him cheat on his wife or girlfriend. One woman even admitted to me, men who cheated were better in bed because it was forbidden.

Sure, I was an asshole for sometimes using the act _after_ the divorce, but I had only done it a few times. If I played my cards right, I wouldn't have to go home alone after all.

The blonde looked apologetic, trying for cute with a pouty-lipped smile. "I should buy you a drink for that."

"No harm was done." I shrugged indifferently; knowing my lack of interest would embolden her more. "No drink needed." I laughed a bit and caught the bartender's attention, ordering a round for the guys, turning away from her. Part of me was having second thoughts; she reminded me of my ex-wife.

My shoulder brushed against the brunette; she stilled but didn't pull away. Fuck, the warmth that emanated from her, combined with her hair and that elusive scent, made me hard.

"Aw, come on. One drink won't kill you." If only it were the beauty offering me a drink.

 _Just get it over with,_ I told myself. My hard-on wouldn't go away anytime soon because of the beauty.

I turned to look at her and shook my head, dipping my chin in an "aw, shucks" kind of way, playing the part the blonde seemed to be after. "It ain't a good idea. One more drink and I might do something I shouldn't. You're beautiful, baby..."

I took another look at her, she was beautiful, if I liked bubble gum pink everything—as in lips, strips of her hair, clothes, and pink body glitter. Which now that I thought about, I wasn't particularly interested in tasting. Some of that shit was nasty.

Maybe I should head out. "But my baby back home is expecting me soon."

The brunette I had eyes on since she walked into the bar, snorted, snickering under her breath beside me. She pressed her arm against mine harder. "Does that act really work?"

 _Oh, she does speak._

The candy pink woman laughed at the brunette's words, leaning around my back to smile at the woman. "He should've stopped at 'You're beautiful, baby,' right?"

My brain seized for several seconds, turning toward the other woman. "What?"

She rolled her eyes—the whiskey brown and gold in them would draw a man into a lifetime commitment of addiction if I allowed myself to succumb to their call.

 _Jesus fuck, she's a knockout._

And familiar. Although, I was positive I'd never met her. I wouldn't forget a mouth like hers, ever.

"You called her 'baby' and your supposed girl back home is also baby." She shrugged her slender shoulders, all on display in a dark blue off-the-shoulder blouse, sans fucking bra.

I tried to keep my eyes on her heart-shaped face, but her tits were as equally addicting as her eyes. It didn't help that her nipples were popping out and saying hello in a language my body was fluent in.

"That's one too many babies," the blonde said, laughing along with the smartass. Her attention returned to me. "If you had used her name, it would've been more believable. Now, I know I come on a little strong, honey, but I just wanted to buy you a drink. Maybe some conversation, then maybe a number. Totally saw through the act, too. See you slick." She walked around me and got cozy with the brunette. "Come on, beautiful." She batted her eyelashes in a mock-flirt and laughed. "How about you join me on the dancefloor? I know just the song, too."

The brunette beauty nodded and laughed along with the blonde, eyeballing me as if she expected me to tell her off or something.

I thought about it, for like two seconds, my nostrils flaring. Fuck, she smelled good.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to ruin your night." She shrugged. "I tend to stick my foot in my mouth a lot."

When I said nothing, too caught up watching her lips move, she followed the pink blondie. The brunette's peachy ass was on display in her pencil skirt, looking like too much class for the place that catered to mostly blue-collar workers.

I ignored the catcalls from my friends at the table as I ordered a shot of tequila. I needed it after that epic fucking fail. I ordered another shot, since walking my Harley to Emmett's old house sounded like a good idea. I'd crash there. There was no way I was staying at the bar; my ego couldn't handle another hit after blondie and the beauty sent me to the ground with just one swing.

Then I recognized the country song that came on.

" _So nah nah, honey I'm good_

 _I could have another but I probably shouldn't_

 _I've got somebody at home, and if I stay I might not leave alone."_

Was that where I got the "act" from? Damn Jasper and the country music he played when we worked. I was never going to live it down now.

I glanced at my so-called friends.

"You are queens!" Eric cried out at the table. They were all up on their feet, bowing down. "We're not worthy! We're not worthy."

Beauty and blondie noticed and waved at my _employees_ , blowing the assholes kisses.

The rest of the place had a good laugh on my account, but I was a good enough sport to concede defeat. I grabbed a white napkin off the bar and waved it in the air. After paying for a few drinks for the women and delivering the round I promised to the guys, I headed out into the cool Forks night.

A part of me hoped never to see the whiskey-eyed beauty ever again, but my dick had other ideas.

.

.

.

I tossed the keys to Emmett's house on the counter, locked up tight, turned off every light, and armed the security system. A headache I had earlier had diminished to a dull ache after a few beers and the shots of tequila, but I still needed relief.

Just a different kind of relief.

It'd been too long since I felt the heat of a woman's pussy or mouth around my cock, settling for my hands, but there were a lot less complications keeping it that way.

 _Good thing I didn't hook up with my Beauty; she had complications written all over her._

I headed into the spare bedroom where I kept an air mattress on the floor to sleep on if I worked late, stripped off all my clothes, testing the mattress for firmness.

I grabbed the lotion on the floor beside the bed and a towel; then lying back, I gripped my thick cock. Though I tried to pull up the memory of some naked porn star, my mind chose to focus on the brunette from the bar. She had a smart mouth, with plump, soft pink lips I would love to fuck.

I didn't know her name, but she'd star in my fantasies for a while.

The speed of my hand quickened as I pictured her sitting between my thighs, her hands brushing up my legs, making every muscle in my body tighten in anticipation. Her dark, whiskey eyes were on fire, igniting when she bent forward to kiss the tip of my dick with her lush lips.

"Fuck!" I wasted no time taking the image further, my hand fucking my throbbing cock. My sweet Beauty held nothing back, as her short fingernails ran over my aching balls.

The fantasy continued, and though my Beauty couldn't take my length all the way in, I hit the back of her throat with almost each stroke of her tongue until I came, hard.

"Fucking hell, Beauty." If the real thing came even close to my imagination, I might be willing to break a couple of my rules.

I rose from the airbed to clean up in the bathroom across the hall. After washing my hands, I looked in the mirror and ran a hand over my auburn hair. The undercut was easier for me to handle, but it was getting a little long on top. The trimmer I kept there had tempted me to trim my jawline. There was no one to impress, so I decided to leave the scruff for a couple more days.

Maybe I should try a beard like Jasper.

I made my way across the hall to my room, still naked, when I heard a noise downstairs. Pausing by the door, I listened to make sure I wasn't hearing things.

There it was again, a tap and a muttered curse.

My phone was downstairs, of course. _Shit._

Going on pure instinct and a touch of adrenaline, I quietly creeped my way down the hall, grabbing the bat I kept close since a raccoon incident several weeks back. I slowly took the stairs, thankful I had fixed the creek on the third stair.

The noise came from the kitchen. Someone had broken in, but I wasn't about to let some fucker destroy the home I was helping Emmett create for his baby sister. The figure was slight and appeared to be unarmed.

"What the hell?" The muffled curse continued, as the figure moved toward the wall, possibly searching for a light switch, which I had moved. "Where is it?"

I wasn't sure if the intruder was dangerous, but ditched the bat anyway. My size at six-three and muscled strength would be my weapon. I bent slightly and ran full tilt toward the figure, wrapping my arms around the asshole's back and taking him down in one move.

The intruder struggled under me, bucking and thrashing, the body completely covered in some sort of camo jacket.

I grabbed the hands trying to scratch out my eyes, slipping them over _her_ head.

From the high pitch of her screams and the intruder's size, I figured out immediately it was a woman who'd broken in, and it wouldn't be the first time. When I first started working on the house, I found a drugged out squatter named Angie living in the attic.

"Angie? What the hell are you doing back?" I asked, pissed and breathless. The woman wiggled under me, and I realized her body was not stick thin like the squatter.

"I'm not fucking Angie! What the hell are you doing in _my_ house?"

I could barely understand her; her dark hair covered her entire face, and I could smell the alcohol all over her. "Your house? Nice try, lady. I've been staying here for weeks. It belongs to my buddy. Want to try again before I call the police?"

The figure stopped moving beneath me, which was a goddam crying shame. It was the most action I'd had in months. My C+ asshole status just went up to a B-.

"Edward?"

My eyes widened, my alcohol-drenched mind putting things together too slow, blame the fucking orgasm, too. The alarm hadn't gone off, and I had set it before going to bed. There was no indication of the intruder breaking in the back door or one of the windows; I would've heard it. This person either picked the lock or had a key.

The fact she knew my named cemented it. _Oh fuck, I just tackled Emmett's baby sister. Talk about a warm welcome. Actually, she felt like a flame under me._

"Bella?"

"Yup, that would be me."

My eyes narrowed, recognizing the voice of the woman I'd seen at the bar. The same one who recently starred in an amazingly hot fantasy; the tip of my cock was still sticky from coming. The thought of said fantasy alone had me rising to the occasion.

She was also the same woman my so-called friends saw I had eyes on and said nothing. _Fuckers._ I was going to kill them; put them through the hell the following workday for that stunt.

"Oh boy." Bella started to giggle, twisting her hands in mine, her tits pressing harder against my chest. "You're happy to see me." Her laughter had her body responding in interesting and equally sexy ways. Her tits shook against my chest, her thighs parting farther, accommodating my hips.

It took considerable strength and will power not to thrust against her. Fuck, she was so damn warm.

"Are you drunk, Beauty?" It hadn't been that long since I left the bar, had it?

She stilled, her features turning serious. "No." It sounded more like a question than fact. Her act didn't last long, as she broke into another fit of giggles. "I'm quite capable of taking advantage of our current position and making a sound decision. If that's what you're worried about."

I rolled my eyes, trying not to do the same with my hips. "Wrong. If you knew me at all, you wouldn't want to fuck with me."

"Fuck _with_ you? I'd rather fuck you."

"No, you don't."

She made a face of distaste. "Ah, you're the broody type."

"Shit." I rose to my knees, my cock bobbing against my stomach, the tip hitting above my belly button. "Stop looking at my dick, Baby Bella."

"Are you freaking kidding me right now?" She hissed as she sat up on the floor, waving her hand toward my crotch. "How can I _not_ look at it? It's right in front of my face, and it's like a fucking train wreck!" She huffed, watching my dick twitch. "Jeez, Edward."

I rubbed my face, turning away as I got to my feet. Her gasp of surprise made me smirk, not that she could see it. "Yeah, Swan, I have a nice ass, too."

 _Keep calling her Swan or Baby Bella; they were the perfect reminders to keep my hands off her._

"Broody and cocky; that should help turn me off so I can sleep better." She was on her feet, dusting herself off. "What the hell are you doing in my house anyway?"

I searched a drawer and found a kitchen towel, holding it over my still hard cock, turning on the lights. "I stay here whenever I have a few drinks at the bar, work late, or plan to start work here early." I gestured around the kitchen. "I rode my Harley to the bar, but walked it back here."

"Well, that's good at least." She whistled at the newly remodeled kitchen, but then pouted. "I'm going to kill my brother."

"Excuse me? That's what you say about what he's done for you?" I heard she was a bit of a brat, but I swore Emmett and the others were merely joking around when they said it. "You're being a bit of an ungrateful bitch."

She grunted, tugging on her hair. "I know that sounds horrible, but I told him I was coming home to fix the house as a project to get my head past the bullshit back east." She threw her hands in the air, clearly upset. "Now it looks like he took care of all that, leaving me with nothing to do. He always does this."

 _What a bitch._

I scratched at my cheek, wondering how we got from eye fucking each other, rolling around on the floor, to this shit.

"Are you subtly flipping me off?" Baby Bella raised a sexy, slim eyebrow.

 _I want her to do that while I was inside her._

I shrugged. She was being overdramatic; Emmett did her a favor at his expense.

"I told him I needed to do the renos to the house. Now, I'll be left with nothing but my thoughts." She shuddered, shaking her head.

Okay, I could see her point. Working on the house in my spare time was my project for pretty much the same reason.

"Fuck, my buzz is gone now."

"What happened back east?" That sounded defensive and slightly detached, even to me.

I didn't want to care, but I had to make an effort for Emmett's sake.

She rolled her eyes. "Will you please do something about your lack of clothing?"

There was a kind of thrill about pissing her off that made me want to do it more. Asshole move, I knew it, but it couldn't be helped. Assholerly was ingrained in my personality, according to my ex-wife.

At least remembering Heidi made my cock deflate a little. _Forget about that hideous bitch._

I had better things to do: back to pissing off my brown-eyed Beauty. I cockily grinned, folding my arms over my chest, purposely dropping the towel. "You have a problem with my lack of clothing, Baby Bella?"

Emmett was going to kill me.

Her eyes narrowed down to slits. "Quit calling me that."

My chin tipped up, challenging her, calling her bluff. "What are you going to about it…?" I leaned closer, my ass pressing against the counter, pissing her off more.

Her fists settled on her hips, a hint of the demon the guys mentioned earlier in her eyes. Other than that, she hardly posed a threat.

My little Beauty was a fucking kitten, nothing more. She reeked of alcohol, as if she spilled some on her, but there was an undercurrent of something sinful and sweet. I wanted to find the source of the scent and lap it up. _She's a Swan; remember that. Best friend's baby sister._

Time to piss her off more. "What are you going to do, _Baby Bella_?"

She stood on the tips of her toes, getting in my face. The temptress was tempting me to take a bite of that bottom lip of hers.

"You're only calling me that because of the 'bro code,' and everyone knows I hate that nickname."

She was right about the code. I would do whatever I could to piss her off and keep her at a distance. Not only did I worry about fucking my best friend's baby sister, but I could never give her more.

She had relationship and commitment written all over her; two things I had no interest in anytime soon, if at all.

"You didn't answer my question, BB." I tried to keep from smirking when she stomped her small foot. Her calf-length, leather boots would star in my next fantasy of her, because that was all I would ever have of her.

She sighed suddenly, looking defeated, and nothing like the spitfire I met earlier. "Why would you even care?" Maybe the alcohol had her all over the map. She headed out of the kitchen. "I'm going to bed, wipe the counter your ass is leaning on and burn that fucking towel. You already got your pre-cum all over it."

 _Let her leave, just let her walk away._

Did she seriously give me orders? I ignored the way my neck and ears heated up, glaring at her. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You can't stand toe-to-toe with me, _Baby Bella_."

She spun around, stomping toward me until we were stomach to dick. _So fucking warm._ "You want to know what I'd do if you called me that again? Fine, Edward. I'd get on my knees to suck on your _generously long, thick_ cock, just to piss you off, and you'd love every second of it. Then I'd consider using it against you. You know, because of the _bro code_."

She was gone before my brain rebooted, not that I had a clever retort in mind. There simply wasn't one when I wanted her to do exactly what she threatened. Even the blackmail sounded hot.

I was fucked.

So, I decided to take the couch. The thought of sleeping in a room beside hers fucked with _both_ my throbbing heads.

.

.

.

I was barely awake when I heard Bella tiptoe past me on her way into the kitchen. After a minute, I peeked to see what she was doing, or what she was wearing. The curse on my tongue nearly slipped out when I saw her first thing in the morning.

She wasn't wearing shorts, but a pair of underwear meant to tempt the godliest of men. They were pink with ruffles, see-through, and made up of all things naughty, adding more to my already overworked imagination. The top didn't help either; it barely remained on, some off the shoulder temptation that would haunt me. She had incredible shoulders and a gorgeous neck.

"Stop staring at me, you creep."

It took a moment of clearing the lusty fog in my brain, to realize Bella said that and not the voice in my head.

"I'm not." _Can you sound any less convincing, asshole?_

"Sure, sure." She whistled for a few seconds from the kitchen, then moaned in pain. "I need to cut back on the tequila. Jesus."

"There's Advil in the junk drawer."

"Fuck yeah, there is a god." I heard her say, then watched her do a mini dance in the middle of the kitchen as I sat up. There was a whole lot of bouncy tits and ass. My morning semi, which was a substantial size to begin with, turned into a titanium rod in record time.

"Thanks. Need any, Edward?"

I nodded, trying not to look at her in the hopes to will my lust away. "Uh, yeah."

 _Where was the bitch from last night?_

Before I had a chance to slip into my boxers, Emmett's little sister stood in front of me with three Advil and a glass of water.

"Here you go, Edward."

I thanked her, gratefully taking the water and pills she offered.

She shuffled on her feet, as if she expected me to say something, but I wouldn't. I wasn't exactly a nice guy in the morning before coffee—or any other time of the day.

"We kind of got off on the wrong foot last night. I wanted to apologize." She looked up at me expectantly.

I didn't say a word. Maybe if I came off as an asshole, she'd stay away from me.

She fidgeted under my gaze; my Beauty used one foot to rub the top of the other, her hands running through her hair. "From the look on your face, I must have been a royal pain in the ass last night."

I shrugged. "You remember anything?"

Bella looked softer in the morning light, sweeter. Perhaps my hangover was fucking with my head. The mess of curls looked adorable instead of sexy. I hated adorable. If she turned out to be some peppy, always happy woman, then I'd have no trouble keeping the hell away from her.

A smile spread over her slightly imperfect lips. I wanted to bite the fuller bottom one, taste it until I was satisfied, then take the top one between my teeth, and trace it with my tongue.

 _This isn't helping with the morning tree trunk in your pants, asshole._

Bella waved her hands in the air. Her top was short, and I caught a glimpse of the bottom curve of her tits.

 _Swan, she's a Swan. Not going to happen._

She said something I missed, her hands still moving along with her mouth. "Bits and pieces, but it usually comes back to me after breakfast."

The mention of food made my stomach protest.

Bella smiled, doing a head tilt thing that made my cock twitch. Apparently, my body liked cute. She needed to get out of there fast, or else my asshole side would come out and demand she got on her knees for me and do exactly what she'd teased last night.

"Someone is hungry." She smirked.

I _was_ a starving man, and not for what she had in mind.

"Why don't you take a shower and get dressed, while I make us something to eat," she suggested.

I grunted, getting to my feet, because the woman was not moving. Hopefully, she'd get the hint.

She didn't. She was still standing in the same spot less than two feet away from my dick.

"Do you mind?" I held the sheet against my cock, trying to keep myself decent, which wasn't easy when my monster was at full mast.

Her eyes were on my crotch, and it wasn't helping the situation. When things were out of my control, I lashed out. The asshole level going up several notches, and usually, I didn't give a fuck. I did now. Bella was Emmett's sister; she wasn't just some woman coming onto me or fucking with my head. I had to remember that.

Too bad the asshole won out.

"You go into the kitchen and cook now, like a good little girl." I sounded like a sexist fucking pig. If I heard some asshole say that to my baby sister, I'd kill him.

The change in Bella was instant, and I watched as her body went from soft and inviting to defensive. She even widened her stance as if she were about to fight someone.

"I'm starting to remember what an asshole you are now." She rolled her eyes and turned away from me. "I'm making breakfast for me; not sure I'll leave some for you. Go take your shower or don't, but burn the sheet along with the towel from last night."

I cursed under my breath as she stalked toward the kitchen with her chin tipped high and a sexy as fuck sway to those magical looking hips.

The more we fought, the more I wanted her.

I held the sheet over my dick as I turned toward the stairs. I heard her squeak from behind, my ass was on full display for her. Had she returned to give me more shit?

"Oh, uh, never mind, Edward."

I quirked an eyebrow. "You got something to say, Baby Bella?"

She scowled at the use of the nickname. "Go fuck yourself."

 _She's going to hate me after this._

I rubbed the sheet over my stiff cock a bit harder. "I plan to."

.

.

.

I wasn't sure what I'd find downstairs after I finished my shower. A part of me wanted to walk out the door and pretend Bella Swan didn't exist for the foreseeable future. It made me feel like someone was holding my balls hostage. I wasn't about to let some little girl fuck with my head.

Period.

I heard Bella slamming cabinet doors, as I gathered my belongings to shower. There wasn't much food in the house. Despite that, she had bacon piled on a plate, along with some scrambled eggs, and homemade waffles, when I finally got the nerve to face her.

It wasn't because I feared her; my cock was the problem. It wouldn't behave; despite the barrage of gag-worthy, usually dick deflating images in my head.

My mouth watered the moment I saw Bella bent over as she grabbed food from the crisper in the fridge. I thought her tits were nice; her ass was nothing short of spectacular. How the fuck was I supposed to resist her when she looked like that?

"Can you go put on some fucking clothes?" _Yup, the asshole was back._

She startled, yelping in surprise. Her eyes were fire and brimstone when she leveled me with a glare. "I would if my clothes from last night didn't smell like I swam in a keg of cheap beer."

"Quit giving me excuses, Bella, and find something else."

"What the fuck do my clothes have to do with anything?"

I tried to speak, but she stopped me before I had a chance.

"I swear to God if you say something like I'm gagging for it or something equally demeaning because of what I'm wearing, I will stick a fork in you." She threw her hands up when I glared at her, walking past me, right outside the front door.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I yelled.

She wasn't the only one to reach a breaking point. I grabbed Bella by the arm, yanking her back inside. I slammed the door closed.

"Do you want your neighbors to see you like that?" I waved my hand in front of her.

"I have nothing to wear in the house, nothing, and my shit is in my car." Her hands went into her hair, giving me a glimpse of glorious skin and a fucking tattoo on her hip. _I'm fucking salivating now, thanks._ "God, can this day get any worse?"

"Don't start crying because then I'm leaving." I would, too. Women in tears were my kryptonite. It didn't matter how much a woman hurt me, if she started crying, I usually gave in to whatever she wanted—which they often used to their advantage against me in the past.

"I'm not crying." She yanked her arm out of my hand, slapping a set of keys in it instead. "If I can't go out there, then you go get my bag, or let me borrow a shirt."

If tears were my kryptonite, seeing this woman in my clothes would kill me. "I'll go get it." I snatched my hand back, or else the touch of her skin would continue to make me burn and my erection even more painful.

I needed to fucking leave, but I couldn't yet.

I took a few minutes outside to gather control and assess some damage to Bella's car. There was a dent on the driver's side, silver paint transferred to the dark blue of her car. Had she been in a fender bender recently? Wasn't she drunk last night? Had she driven? If she had, it was an unforgivable offense in my eyes. My grandparents died in a car accident because of a drunk driver.

 _I'm not going to yell at her, just raise my voice a little._

From the porch of the house, Bella called out to me as if she knew what I was thinking. _She didn't because she would've slapped me already._

"Lauren, the blonde woman from last night, had her little brother Riley drop it off this morning for me. He drove us home last night; my extra keys should be under a tire well."

My shoulders relaxed as I found the keys. "There's damage on the side panel."

"It's not new." Bella shrugged when I looked at her. "My ex hasn't been taking the 'it's over' hint very well."

Emmett was right: she was running away from something. The fact she arrived earlier than anticipated indicated the situation had escalated.

"Should we expect any issues while you stay here?" Perhaps it would be a good idea for the guys and me to take turns checking in on her.

She visibly shuddered. "I don't think so."

"But it's possible."

She nodded, gesturing for me to come inside. "Breakfast is getting cold."

"I think you need to start at the beginning." I needed some answers; despite wanting to bend Bella over the nearest flat surface and fuck her like an animal. I would protect her—for Emmett's sake.

We each piled up our plates with food, filling our coffee mugs to the top.

I stared at her, remaining silent until she gave in and started the conversation we needed to have.

"Any chance you can keep this from Emmett? At least, until he gets back. If he finds out, he'll go AWOL."

I didn't like the idea, but if agreeing got her talking, I'd agree. "I'll agree to it, for now, but if the guys need to know so they can keep an eye on you, then I'll tell them."

Bella groaned, gently hitting her forehead on the kitchen table. "Fine, but the last thing I needed was another brother."

I wasn't touching that comment. There was nothing brotherly about my thoughts and feelings. I stuffed my mouth with bacon, asking her to get on with it.

"Paul was persistent in trying to get under my skirt." Bella shook her head. "I think he pursued me for almost a year before I gave in and went out on a date. Should've known then he was only after one thing."

I winced, because if I gave into my lust, I'd only be after one thing.

"After he popped my cherry, he was gone." She said it so robotically and flat that I wanted to find the asshole and kill him, but not before torturing him for a few hours. It was the least I could do for Emmett.

"Give me his full name and social, and me and the guys will take care of it."

"I'll keep that in mind." She sipped on her coffee, seemingly thinking about something. It took her a minute to start up again. "After a while, I let it go, pretty much forgot about him, but I was careful with boys. Went out a couple times, and eventually, entered another relationship, which turned out just as bad. Anyway, I bumped into Paul at a medical conference two years ago, where I had a presentation and lecture. We got to talking. I fell for his bullshit lie that he had changed."

"People rarely change, maybe for a period of time, but personally, I think it takes more than a few years to grow the fuck up."

Bella opened her mouth to speak, but kept whatever comment or retort she had to herself. "I thought we were on the same page after a year, but apparently, we weren't. After he explained his reasons, I ended the relationship. I deserve better."

There was more to her story, and though I wanted to know, I knew better than to ask. Sympathizing with her would only lead to my wanting to comfort her, and I wasn't there for that.

"So what? He didn't take the break up well?" I kept stuffing my face, wondering what Bella's secret was. My eggs never came out this good. Maybe she'd feed me breakfast in bed one day. The wayward thought had the bite of food settling like a rock in my stomach.

 _What the fuck?_

"He was fine with it, even agreed that we simply wanted different things."

 _Did that mean Bella wanted a ring on her finger and her ex didn't?_

I looked at her, and the softness I'd seen earlier was still there. I couldn't even explain it, as if she had a soft glow around her. The look screamed, _"I want to get married and have babies."_

I edged the chair away from her, just in case the look was contagious.

"This story is getting a little long now," I teased, keeping a small smile on my face.

"Then why did you ask?" She bumped her shoulder against mine, playfully scowling.

Damn she was cute.

Bella waved her hand as she continued. "As I was saying, the breakup was amicable, until he suddenly returned a couple months ago wanting to get back together." She said something about the timing being obvious under her breath, but I couldn't quite catch it all.

"I wasn't even remotely interested, but he was insistent. One time, he came over to my apartment unannounced, drunk off his ass. After a horrible confrontation, my neighbors escorted him off my property. He kept coming around until I had a friend help me get a restraining order against him."

"When did he hit your car?" I always thought I was an asshole, but Bella's ex sounded like a douche. It sounded as though he figured out what he was missing, once it was over. Thankfully, Bella was smart enough to send him packing.

"He cornered me in a restaurant parking lot. It was just before the restraining order."

There was more she wasn't telling me, but I had the information I needed.

"Well, I still say you should give me his name, number, last known address, so me and the guys can drop by and say hello."

"Just so I can bail you all out?" Again, she used her hands as she talked. "No thanks. Besides, the last time he almost violated the restraining order, cops had to go talk to him. Since then, there hasn't been a peep from him for weeks."

"Which explains why you came home early."

Bella ducked her head, looking away. "Yeah, I guess."

Sensing again there was more, but that she was uncomfortable, I chose to let it go for now. "Come on, I'll do the dishes, then we can go over all the changes Emmett had me work on. If there's anything else you'd like, we can discuss it."

"Funny I thought this was _my_ house, since Emmett signed the deed to me. We'll take a look and I'll decide what needs to be changed or discussed."

She had me there. It was her house, not Emmett's.

"Emmett is technically footing the bill."

Bella smirked. "Not anymore, I am."

I crossed my arms over my chest, watching her carefully. Why was she so determined to take on such a large task? "I wasn't going to charge your brother for my labor. I was doing that as a favor to him."

"Are you extending that favor to me?

 _Was I?_ I could delegate the rest of the work to others. It wasn't as if I couldn't afford it. If I continued working for her, it would mean I'd spend more time with her. Was that a good thing? I simply nodded before I had a chance to really think about it.

She smiled, and fuck, if it didn't make my cock twitch.

.

.

.

Several hours later, we had a plan for more renovations than originally planned, and I hoped to have them done prior to summer. Bella added a few more projects, and since I usually supervised and delegated the workload with my business, I'd be able to continue helping her for the next month or two.

I spread blueprints for the house across the coffee table in the living room, starting to sketch in a backyard deck Bella wanted.

She hovered, keeping that incredible heat and scent close and my dick uncomfortably hard. Occasionally, she'd point at something, make a comment or suggestion, and I helped determine what could be done and how. She had a good eye for architecture and engineering.

It wasn't long before the doorbell rang.

Bella's eyes widened as she rose from the couch. "Shit, I forgot the guys were coming over to barbeque!"

The minute Jasper, Eric, and Tyler took one look at us all cozy on the couch, they'd know I wanted Bella in my bed. "This can wait until later. Why don't you go get the door while I start up Emmett's old grill?"

She relaxed a bit, nodding as she headed to the front door.

I wanted to have a conversation with guys later, since they didn't tell me Bella was at the bar or that she was staying at her house. It was also obvious they didn't tell her I sometimes stayed at the house, too.

.

.

.

My friends hadn't said a word about me being there already, and I decided to confront them after we ate.

It was strange to see how such big, tough guys all acted so sweet and caring around Bella. Tyler was six-four and built like a linebacker, much like Emmett. Eric was the shortest, at six feet, but still towered over Bella, who stood at about five-seven. Jasper seemed to stay back, observant, but still much in the moment with the reunion. She buzzed around them, providing them with the snacks they brought, stories, and plenty of laughs.

"I'm going to make some rice inside." Bella patted Jasper's shoulder when he expressed how much he loved her Spanish rice. The moment she stepped inside, they all turned to look at me.

I sat at the head of the patio table, looking rather cozy, waiting for the shit they were about to give me.

"What?" I knew what, but I wasn't the type to kiss and tell, even if nothing happened.

"Looks like nothing happened." Jasper sat back, looking a little relieved.

The look and his comment pissed me off, but I matched Jasper's relaxed posture. "I thought you said you wanted me to get laid. What is it? Bella too good for me?"

 _Probably, but I was curious what was going through their heads._

Eric, the diplomat of the group, spoke up first. "First, we were fucking with you last night about that. That's none of our business, but the truth of the matter is, we don't want to see Bella hurt anymore."

I only got more defensive. "You're automatically assuming I'm going to hurt her?" I looked at the other guys and saw the answer.

"It's just in your nature, man." Tyler shrugged. "You do it before they can hurt you. I get it. Your exes were royal bitches. The crap they pulled would make anybody nervous to start up something again. But fuck, Edward, it's been like years since your divorce, and that shit with Irina was over a year ago."

Had it really been that long?

"You all think I'm incapable of being with her?" Didn't I think the same thing all day?

"A part of you probably would love to explore something else with her, but the other part, the one that has your dick pointing right at her is currently in control."

"It's not pointing at her." I stood when Bella popped out to ask a question about allergies. She waited for me to answer, but my eyes were on the tiny heart tattoo on her left shoulder. How had I missed that? I felt my dick hardening. Fuckers were right, it did point at her.

"Edward?" She waved a hand in front of me, whistling when I had yet to respond.

"I'm not allergic to anything."

Someone muttered, "Just commitment."

Bella scowled at Jasper. "What did you say?"

Jasper shrugged, refusing to answer.

She whispered a soft "thank you" and left to finish inside the house.

I sat back down, after checking on the burgers and corn. I sent Jasper a glare. "Thanks a lot, _Jazz_."

Jasper grimaced at his ex's nickname for him. "I know we're coming off as assholes."

"You think?" I looked away. "You can all stow the big brother act with me. I'm not going to touch her."

.

.

.

"You don't have to stay to help me clean up, Edward." Bella pulled her hair up in a bun, leaving loose curls hanging. Her tits were all perky under some romper thing she wore. The hem of the shorts portion barely covered her ass when she bent over.

"I don't mind." I'd been quiet for the last hour or so, watching my friends with this beautiful woman and wondering where I fit in. I felt protective of her, as much as they seemed to be, but I fantasized about her. There was nothing innocent about those fantasies, and I knew that wouldn't change anytime soon. "I noticed something."

"I'm sure you notice a lot of things." She giggled; though, I wasn't sure what she was referring to. "I know it's weird how protective they are of me. It was a pain in the ass growing up—no boyfriends at all while I lived here."

"Considering how young you were when you started college, I'm guessing it was a while until you could date."

Bella nodded. "I'm sure they told you about our childhood, about our mother?"

I nodded.

"If Daddy hadn't set aside a separate school fund for me that she didn't have access to, I probably would've graduated at the normal age. Emmett made sure I got the right tutors growing up, because Mom didn't care. Once she figured out she couldn't make money off me, she refused to lift a finger to help."

"I will never understand how a mother can do that to a child." I set up the dishwasher, taking a rinsed plate from Bella. "Why did she even bother keeping you and Em around?"

Bella frowned, and I realized my question sounded rude, but she stopped me before I could apologize. "To clean the house, mow the lawn, and as long as we lived in this house, the utilities were paid by Dad's lawyers." She shrugged. "I want to believe she loved us, but I think we reminded her too much of Dad. We have his eyes."

They did, but Emmett's were darker.

"Sorry if the guys were giving us so much shit because I spent the night."

She stopped rinsing. "Why are you sorry? They were the ones being assholes about it. Plus, hello, it would've meant I slept with someone I just met and while drunk. They don't give me enough credit." She muttered more curse words, her cheeks flushed with color. The cup in her hand was going to break if she kept squeezing it so hard.

I took the glass from her, easing her away, taking over. "Relax, let me do this, and tell me what they said about your ex when you told them." I had to take a call from a client earlier while she explained to the guys about her asshole ex-boyfriend.

"There's nothing much to tell. They reacted the way I thought they would, and honestly, Paul would run if he saw any of you guys coming his way."

My mind whirled with ideas about how to obtain the information I needed. If I cozied up to one of the ladies at the police station, maybe I could get Paul's information. Then the guys and I could suddenly have the need for a short road trip.

"You had to tell them, Bella, just in case he came around."

A bit defeated, she huffed, but nodded in agreement. "I know, but like I said, it should be okay."

I started the dishwasher and turned to face her, leaning back against the counter. "As I said, I noticed something earlier."

"Besides my spectacular ass?" She winked, and I worked hard to keep my face neutral. She had a mouth on her; not only a smart one, but she also cursed a lot.

"You and Tyler." There was no need for clarification; I knew that. She was closer to Tyler than to the others. During their visit, I had noticed how he was never too far from her, hovering, always first to help her.

"Ah, yeah Tyler." She looked away, blinking several times as if to avoid tearing up. Had there been something between them? "Let's just say we helped each other through a very dark period in our lives."

"You were just a kid." I tried to keep the disgust from my voice, but she hadn't been home for years. How had they had any relationship if she'd been a child?

She rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you think men and women can't be friends?"

"I didn't say that, but it seems like you two had a thing going on." I shrugged indifferently, but she saw right through it.

She laughed, shaking her head. "You sound kind of jealous, but that can't be."

"Not even close." Was that what I felt when I saw them interact earlier? _Possibly._

"It's never been like that with any of the guys." Her brow tightened. "No, that's not true. I had a crush on Jasper for years."

Jasper was loading the roof on Monday by himself.

"I see."

She propped her elbow on the counter, leaning into her palm. "So, do you believe men and women can't be friends?"

"I don't have any female friends, Bella." Most women I met over the years, at one point or another, tried to get into my pants—a few succeeded, others did not. Either way, it always ended badly.

"Thankfully the 'bro code' helps with our situation, it wouldn't bode well for us otherwise."

I shook my head, chuckling. "You do remember last night?"

"I remember you attacked me." She batted her lashes playfully, her eyes sweeping down my body, lingering on my cock. If she kept doing that, she would see it rise to the heat in her gaze. As it was, there was no mistaking she could see my well-defined bulge; it was impossible to mask.

"To be fair, I thought you were the local druggie."

She frowned. "Yeah, Emmett told me about Angie. We went to school together." She sat thoughtful for a minute, then sighed. "I remember a few things from last night, but I _know_ we didn't do anything."

From the playfulness in her voice, I wanted to know what she was thinking. "What makes you say that, Bella?"

"If I had let that monster inside me, I'd still be feeling it right now, and I don't." She stood away from the kitchen island, walking toward me. "That is if you know how to use it properly."

That sounded like a dare.

My eyes narrowed and nostrils flared with her thinly veiled insult covered with a compliment. "You would feel it."

She shrugged. "Right, so we didn't do anything, meaning, your ass is safe."

I rolled my eyes, stupid bro code. All day I had been back and forth with my desire for her. I went from hot to cold; just to turn around and heat up our interaction with some innuendo that only made her do the same. She had to have noticed how many times I adjusted my dick every time she slid her hand over new granite, or inspected the molding by climbing a ladder, putting her ass in my face as I had held the ladder.

Fuck the consequences; I didn't care anymore. I leaned toward her, lifting my hand to tip up her chin, meeting her gaze head-on. "What if I don't want to be safe?"

She licked her lips, pressing herself a little closer. The heat off her body onto my own felt incredible and so damn inviting, and if she took one more step—game fucking over.

"I think in this case, safety sucks." She stood on the tips of her toes, meeting me halfway. At the touch of her soft lips, I sprang into action. My arms wrapped around her small waist, tying her to me, as I took her mouth forcefully, with something close to desperation.

I had imagined her in various positions around the house while we went over plans all day, walking around with a hard dick for hours. The brutal pain eased for a moment, lost in the softness of her lips, and the taste of sweet tea on her tongue. My teeth nipped at her bottom lip as I imagined a thousand times since I first saw her.

"Jesus." She gasped, her lip still trapped between my bite. "Take me to bed, Edward." She captured my groan, cupping my face, deepening the kiss. My hands dove beneath the hem of her romper, finally getting them on her backside.

"Fuck," I hissed, cupping and squeezing her ass.

The tip of her tongue explored the shape of my mouth, every part of it open for her to taste. She rubbed her stomach against my cock, making my eyes roll.

It was torture.

It was heaven.

The fabric of her romper didn't stand a chance. It tore like paper, coming apart in my too rough hands. I tried to keep my touch lighter, my skin probably felt like sandpaper to her. I just could not stop touching her, grabbing her, holding her too tight.

I got harder at the thought of leaving marks of our fucking all over her.

We stumbled out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Touch me, please." Her words brushed against my ear, enticing me further. Her fingers tugged on my hair, and the little brat cupped my dick, threatening to shred my control.

"It's going to take a lot more than your hand to cover me."

She smiled up at me, biting her lush bottom lip I was already addicted to. "Oh, I'm well aware of that, Edward."

"Yeah, you are, and you're going to feel it for days." I dipped in for another taste, but Bella shook her head and stepped out of my arms. _Come back, I'm not done._

The romper I'd ruined started to slide down miles of long fucking legs after she loosened the top portion. My mouth watered and my cock twitched in my jeans. I couldn't take much more; there was a need to kiss, lick, and bite every inch of her. She wore a fancy white lacy bra thing, and I had no idea of the name, but I wanted to buy her another dozen, in every fucking color, so I could see her in it all the damn time.

The desire to stalk toward her and claim her was potent, but I wanted her to come to me. All soft and sexy, willing to do anything I asked of her. If she expected me to go easy on her, she had another thing coming. After spending a day with her—her scent teasing me, stirring my cock with her smooth peaches and cream skin—it wasn't possible to be gentle.

I worked hard, but when I played, it was harder. She'd soon learn that.

"Come here, beautiful." I crooked a finger, biting back a groan as _she_ stalked toward me, looking like every bit the predator, making me the prey. Unable to handle the distance between us any longer, I closed it with a tug of her hand. Her body collided with mine, each of us groaning. Instantly, our hands worked to pull and yank clothes off or out of the way. My shirt ended up in a plant, and her panties were another casualty to my hands. In the process, a lamp fell to the ground, the remote lay smashed by the couch, a frame barely hung on the wall as I pushed her against it.

"Yes," she breathed out, her hands gripping my shoulders. I slid my cock between her thighs, teasing her, threatening my control. She was wet and warm, so fucking ready for me. My palms slid down the back of her thighs, my pants around my ankles, not inclined to spend the time to take everything else off. Our eyes met, and silently, we had the "protection" discussion without a word. She nodded, ending my misery with a moan of my name and a demand for more. I thrust inside her without restraint, groaning at the feel of her clenching all around me. She was so fucking tight.

"Oh fuck!" she screamed, gasping against my shoulder and neck.

I held on, loving the feel of her pussy tightening and coming around me. I couldn't believe she could take my entire length inside her. I could count the number of times that happened using only a finger.

"You okay?" I realized I should've been more careful. Instead, my control unraveled, making me lose my mind for a second.

"Yes."

I nibbled on the tiny red heart tattoo on her shoulder, right where it met her neck. Sexiest fucking thing. "More?

Her soft breath teased my ear, her voice rougher. "Yes, more."

I savored her for a moment longer, allowing her to take deep breaths, before pulling out and thrusting as hard as the first time. I cursed, unable to keep my mouth from biting into her shoulder.

"Fuck, you feel good." I groaned, as Bella tightened her pussy around my dick. "Do that again and I'll fuck you like I want, Beauty."

Her head fell back against the wall, her breasts pushing out for me. She laughed, doing it again.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." I pulled out slowly to watch my cock slip out of her.

Bella tipped my head up and tugged on my hair. "Fuck me, Edward."

I dropped my mouth to her tits, fucking her as she asked. She moaned and groaned, whispering dirty things in my ear.

" _I'm so full."_

" _Fuck, Edward."_

" _So good."_

" _God, your cock."_ Thrust for thrust, her hips met mine. Her nails dug into my shoulders and back, and I loved the bite of pain as much as she seemed to love it, too. Every time I bit and nipped at her tits or neck, she'd squeeze my dick as no woman had ever done.

"My Beauty," I whispered, kissing her as my pace quickened. I knew she was about to come, felt it in the way her body braced for it. As if she were about to jump headlong off a cliff, and she was going to take me with her. "Come for me, Bella."

She slipped her hand between us, causing me to harden farther inside her, which she noticed, smiling at me wickedly. Her fingers rubbed between her thighs, the tips pushed against my cock every time I pulled out, adding to the pleasure.

"Fuck." I moaned, taking her faster, harder.

Her scream was silent, the kind that stole your voice but still made your throat hurt afterward. Her body tensed against mine, her arms trembling around me. I fucked her against the wall, wishing I could keep from coming, to make it last longer. It was impossible. She felt too good with every inch of my cock wrapped in her warmth.

Her breathy gasp of my name as she came down, the satisfaction in her voice nearly brought me to my knees. Four more thrusts and my body enclosed around her body as I spilled inside her. I cursed and pleaded, for what, I wasn't sure. It seemed to last forever, but the moment I returned to fucking Earth, it didn't seem to have lasted long enough.

She giggled, her fingers playing with my hair.

"I still have my cock inside you, if you keep laughing, it will start to get hard again." It was true, her tits jiggled when she laughed or giggled.

"Oh, I wouldn't want that." She winked, laughing some more. "I can't believe I tamed _The Beast_."

My eyes narrowed as I pulled out, helping her to her feet. Immediately, I wanted to get back inside her. "How do you know that name?"

"The guys said my nickname I had for you was the same one you had." She grinned, bending low enough to help me lift my jeans up to cover myself, my boots still on.

Seeing her mouth that close to my dick had it twitching—fuck. It wouldn't be long before I was ready for another round.

"How did my dick come up?"

"I was at the bar, asking how I could tell if a guy has big dick or not."

I led her to the couch, pulling her into my lap. She was still naked, but didn't seem to mind. I wasn't stupid enough to complain. It wasn't like me to stick around once the deed was done. Yet, I needed to have her again, and the day was still young.

"Why would you ask that?" Was she looking to pick up someone last night?

"Paul was average; some of the other guys I've been with were, too." She shrugged, shifting until her head rested on my lap. "Others were gifted." When I nearly growled, she quickly added to her statement. "Though not compared to you."

 _Damn right._

I slid my hand down her cheek, neck, and settled on her stomach. Noticing scars there, but I didn't ask about them. Emmett had mentioned she'd been a bad accident when she was younger; though, he closed up after that, not giving a lot of details. It seemed to be a tough subject to discuss for all of them.

"I was a little drunk, so I asked how a woman was supposed to tell. I seriously can't until I feel it. Tyler was the one who said you can tell by how a man sits."

I laughed, agreeing somewhat. "Let me guess, if a man crosses his legs above the knee…"

"Below average." She grinned, giggling. Fuck, her breasts and her tight little nipples were begging for my tongue and teeth.

It surprised me she didn't even try to cover up; she was more confident in herself than I first thought.

"Below the knee, average at the very least," she continued, humming a bar of a song I didn't recognize. "At the ankles and knees spread means above average, but that he wasn't hard." She mimicked the sitting position while lying down, providing me a view of her pussy. F _uck._

"I see."

She looked at me, her hand lifting to dance her fingers up my happy trail. "I noticed you sat with your knees spread and your ankles not crossed." The tips of her fingers circled my nipple. "Which meant, you're a big boy."

I bent down and bit her bottom lip. "I'm no boy, Baby Bella."

A corner of her mouth lifted in a sly smile. "I know, and so I came up with the name _The Beast_ , but only because last night you called me Beauty." She laughed a little. "You know, _Beauty and the Beast_."

I rubbed my hands over my face, trying not to laugh. "You have the beast part right, Bella. Your brother is going to kill me. It doesn't matter if I'm older, and his boss when he comes home, he's still my friend."

"We have a while before Emmett is scheduled to return from deployment. If it doesn't work out…"

I stopped her right there, hands up defensively. "What? Work out? As in you think this thing between us would be anything more than fucking?"

Her eyes closed, her hands clenching into fists. "I see." She sat up, covered her chest with her hands, and walked over to my shirt, pulling it on. "I'm good enough to work for, hang out with, and even fuck, but not enough to date, is that it?"

I stood, shaking my head. I was an idiot for not making things clear before I fucked her. "I'm not looking for anything serious." I waved my hand toward the wall I had fucked her against. "We had fun. It was fucking amazing, actually. Why does it have to be anything other than that?"

"I guess it doesn't, and now it won't be." She left the room, and I argued with myself about going after her. She returned, not bothering to meet my eyes, dressed in running shorts and Spandex top, dropping my t-shirt on my dick. "I'd like you to be gone before I get back, and Edward," she said, and looked at me with a fixed blank expression on her face, "I don't want you working for me now."

She was firing me? Worse, she was making it clear my cock wasn't going anywhere near her again. Anger was quick to thicken my blood, to make my tongue sharper as I stood up. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Her eyes darkened, narrowing, for only a moment, then it was as though all the fire and light within them was sucked out.

 _Fuck, I did that._

"I'm going jogging." She looked bored and buffed her nails against her top. "I guess you didn't give me much of a work out." She cocked an eyebrow and shrugged indifferently, doing a few stretches that made my mouth water. "I can't even feel it. Now that I think about it, you didn't live up to the nickname."

Then she was gone.

.

.

.

The rest of the weekend went downhill fast. The trusses for the Moore house would be delayed two weeks, forcing a change up to schedules and rearranging jobs to keep my guys working. The radiator in my truck leaked, burning my hand in the process of checking what was wrong.

Worse yet, my cock refused to stand down any time I thought of Bella. If I saw someone with long brown hair on TV, bam, my dick was hard, and I would have to take care of it. If I smelled a similar scent of her perfume, same shit. I couldn't even look at blueprints without thinking about her hovering over my shoulder, her breath brushing my ear, as she loved my sketches.

What the fuck was I supposed to do now? Once was nowhere near enough; I should've known it. I also should've guessed she'd be looking for more than I could give her.

We had a great time after our initial meeting—she was funny, sweet, a little wicked, too, and a hell of a good fuck.

Why did she have to ruin everything?

Monday morning, I called Jasper to take care of things for a few days, claimed I wasn't feeling well. I was determined to talk to Bella, to apologize for not being able to give her more. We needed to clear the air to make sure that when Emmett returned, we could stand to be around each other.

Nothing else; though, my cock had other ideas. I swore it was like a divining rod, pointing toward her pussy.

I had earned grade-A asshole status, but at least I owned up to it.

A couple minutes after nine in the morning, I pulled up outside the house. I shouldn't be there; it was too soon. I contemplated leaving, but Bella stepped out onto the porch, tipping up her chin and not looking happy to see me.

I jumped out of my truck, walking toward her, but she held up a hand when I got too close.

"Okay, I won't come any closer, but I thought we should talk about the work on the house." I played off dumb with that excuse; even though, I knew Bella would've likely called one of the guys to help with anything she didn't know how to do.

She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to say a word.

"Bella," I said, hoping to talk to her. Not that I had any clue what to say.

She finally opened her lush lips. Too bad, it was to tell me off and not for my dick. "I'm not ready to talk to you yet, Edward. It will happen, but give me time."

I tried to interrupt. "But, you—"

"I swear to God, if one of the guys told you my sad story, and that's part of the real reason you're here, I will kick you in that giant dick of yours."

I hadn't taken any calls over the weekend. "I've no idea what the fuck you're talking about, Bella."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Then fucking leave, before I really do hurt you."

The problem was, when she gave me attitude, my baser instinct was to do the same. "You'd have to get closer to touch me, _Baby Bella._ We both know you're too chicken to do that."

"If anyone is too chicken around here, it's you. Your _Beast_ is saying hello, asshole." She smirked, eyes on my groin. My dick was saying hello and fucking winking at her. "I bet you hate that."

She then stormed off, leaving me outside alone and the door wide fucking open. Considering she had a crazy ex, that shit was stupid.

"You need to lock the door, BB!"

"What?" she screamed from inside the house. "Go away, asshole!"

"Not before we talk." I was tired of yelling already, and the neighbors were coming out to check what was going on. Forks being a small town meant that everyone would know we were fighting by the end of the day, meaning it had the potential to reach Emmett. Not good.

She came back out, looking like a fucking Avenger, angry and ready to rip off my balls. I gestured toward Mrs. Cope's house, and Bella instantly softened.

"Well, come inside then," she said through clenched teeth, gesturing for me to follow her. Dressed in small denim cutoffs, her ass all plump and smackable, I'd follow her about anywhere.

Some of my inner asshole decided it was the perfect opportunity to test the waters. "I'll gladly come inside you."

She stilled just inside the door as I stepped over the threshold, her ass pressing against my dick. My _very hard_ , big dick. I felt her shiver, but she silently continued toward the kitchen.

As for me, I wondered how long before a guy died from blue balls. I had a few months to convince her we could be friends, or at least, be friendly around each other.

There was another pressing matter, though: I didn't want to be just friends.

I was fucked.

* * *

 **AN: I was going to do a bunch of chapters, but since I'm having a lot of internet issues, I thought it was best to post the monster one shot in one go. Yes, I plan to continue, we need to see if Beauty is going to give into the Beast again. I have a lot going on (my daughter is moving for college), once it slows down and everyone is in school, I'll have time to write. I'm itching to so badly. Thanks again for all those who voted!**


	2. Masochist

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Two—Masochist**

* * *

Bella walked over to one of those fancy coffee machines to make herself some coffee. "Stop with the flirting; I'm not into mixed signals."

"I don't flirt." I rolled my eyes, grabbing a mug from the cabinet beside her.

She was quick to move away.

"All right," she said, looking over her shoulder at me. "Stop talking to me like…" She couldn't seem to find the words.

I guessed she wasn't so smart after all. _She was stupid enough to let you in the house._ "Like what? Like an asshole? Like a man who wants you?"

She straightened her shoulders. "You made it perfectly clear the other night that you don't want me."

Without another word, she set up the coffee machine to brew me a cup of a good, strong coffee. None of the fancy shit. Taking the cup from me, she placed it in the coffee maker, and finally gave me her full attention.

"I never said I didn't…"

She held up her hand. "Don't . . . please."

It was the crack in her voice that made me walk out of the kitchen; though, I wasn't sure what I was going to do next. I didn't get far, choosing to pace around in the living room. I had no idea how to talk to her; it was one my many faults, according to my ex-girlfriend and ex-wife.

"Your coffee is ready." Bella walked past me, setting my mug on the coffee table beside one end, and took the farthest seat from me.

"Are you going to let me explain?"

"I don't need you to, Edward. It meant nothing to you, and it'll mean nothing to me, too." She looked away and reached for the television remote, turning it down. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

I wanted to convince her we could have fun together for a while, that there was no reason to stop. When the time came, we would pretend nothing happened for her brother's sake.

"There's still a lot of plumbing and electrical work I need to complete. I'm sure you can handle some of the simpler things, but there are several projects that require a contractor."

She nodded. "I agree, but I made it clear that you wouldn't be the one finishing those projects."

The indifference in her voice, the way she cowardly wouldn't meet my eyes, pissed me off.

"Grow up, _Baby Bella!_ " I tugged on my hair, glaring down at her. "We fucked; that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Why are you acting like an immature bra—?"

"Edward." I recognized the voice behind me, and he sounded pissed. "Are you all right, Bella?"

Bella looked away from me, shaking her head. "I'd like to be alone, please."

Tyler put a hand on my shoulder, and I knew I'd have to face him, but I kept my eyes on Bella as she turned off the television. She looked past me and offered Tyler a small smile. "Thanks for coming, Tyler. I need to call the police; in the meantime, can you do me a favor?"

"Anything for you, Bella."

Bella's lip curled slightly, her eyes meeting mine. "Take out the trash."

Fuck, she meant me.

.

.

.

I shrugged out of Tyler's hold and jumped off the porch, stomping toward my truck. As I passed Tyler's, I glared at it. He had asked for a couple days off out of the blue, and though he was practically a partner, he rarely took time off. I accommodated his time, and now I knew why he requested it.

Bella asked Tyler for help instead of me.

I didn't like it.

I knew they were friends, but the image of her always hugging him and whispering in his ear at the barbeque kept coming back. Maybe there wasn't anything between them in the past, but there could be now.

I rounded on my friend and tipped up my chin, but he didn't look too happy with me. Tough fucking shit.

"I see you fixed your truck." Tyler crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at me, one of the few men who could.

"I thought you had time off." I played dumb, considering what he walked in on moments ago. Had he heard me say I fucked Bella?

"I do." Tyler didn't offer anything else.

"I don't have time for this shit. I need to talk to Bella." I climbed the steps up to the porch again, trying to pass him.

He put a hand on my chest, holding me back. "She made it clear she's not ready to talk to you."

I stepped back, looking away. "I see."

Tyler laughed. "Yeah, you don't see shit. Look, Edward, Bella's a big girl; she'll get over it and pretend nothing happened. I can't. You shouldn't have touched her, if you planned to _use_ her."

I cringed; his words felt like arrows. "Like you're one to talk."

"My demons don't exactly make me feel like I'm worth someone's love." Tyler scoffed and averted his gaze.

I swallowed, remembering how he explained the thick cuts around his wrists and an arm shortly after coming to work for me all those years ago. He'd been just a kid when he tried to take his own life.

"Yeah, well, I have similar demons, Ty."

Tyler nodded to follow him farther down the driveway, giving us a little more privacy. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but the main reason her relationships all ended badly is because she can't have kids."

The scars, I had seen them on her stomach and hips, even knew it was a tough subject for all the guys.

"The accident happened in the high school parking lot. Someone had been going too fast, hit some black ice, pinning her pelvis against her truck. She actually was pronounced dead at the scene, but then she just started breathing."

Tyler cleared his throat, looking away.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't imagine what it was like for Emmett, for the guys, or for Bella. Considering how horrible their mother was to them growing up, it was probably a lot worse than Tyler stated.

"I-I was the one who hit her."

"Jesus." I shook my head, rubbing my hands over my face.

"She was in the hospital and rehab for months. When she finally told me they had to remove everything, ruining her dream of having children someday…"

I nodded, understanding. It made sense now. Bella was probably the one who helped Tyler after his suicide attempt.

"Her last two boyfriends told her she wasn't marriage material because she can't have kids, opening old wounds." Tyler blew out a deep breath. "I had hoped she'd open up your heart, man." He shook his head, rubbing the top of it and chuckling. "Thought if anyone could handle your bullshit, it was her."

She could, maybe. Did I want her to?

Something didn't add up. "Her last boyfriend wants her back, but why, if nothing has changed?"

"Not that it's any of your business," she said behind us, shocking the shit out of Tyler and me. She ignored the way we awkwardly avoided looking at her and each other. We had been talking about her, and she'd known it. "I sold my patent to Delta Medical Sources for twenty-five million dollars. The asshole wants me back for my money."

She turned away from me and looked at Tyler, rubbing his arm, sensing he needed the comfort. "Paul called me earlier, so I tracked his cell just in case. He's close by according to the information I gathered."

That shit instantly put us on alert; all of us looking down the street.

"You can track his phone?" Tyler asked, sounding impressed.

Medical patents? Cell phone tracking? Who was this woman? _You'll never know, asshole._

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" She shrugged, indicating it wasn't exactly legal.

"Bella, listen," I said, hoping to talk to her. Not that I had any clue what I should say.

She turned and gave me a lethal glare. "Like I said earlier, I'm not ready to talk to you yet, Edward. It will happen, but give me time."

I tried to interrupt. "But—"

"I swear to God, if you suddenly decide that you want me now after finding out how much I'm worth, you're asking for it."

Considering she took revenge to a whole other level, I wouldn't want to be on her bad side. _Too late, asshole._

"Give me a little credit, Beauty." I shoved my hands in my pockets, unsure what to say with Tyler as the audience.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? You want me to give you credit after making me feel like a cheap slut. Get the fuck off my property."

She stormed off, leaving me with my mouth hanging open, clueless what else to say.

"I'll help," Tyler said loud enough for Bella to hear, making her laugh.

Perhaps she didn't completely hate me, if she could laugh about the situation.

I made a face. "What the fuck, Ty? What happened to bros…?"

Tyler stepped closer and fucking growled. "Finish that sentence, I dare you."

I threw up my hands and backed away, because yeah, he had every right to be pissed. Bella was like a little sister to him.

Too bad it couldn't be that way between us, too.

"Fuck! I just wanted to talk to her, and I have no fucking clue what to say, but I can't stop thinking about her. I feel awful, not sorry for her." I thrust my finger in Tyler's chest, feeling angry and frustrated. "And you know I don't give a fuck about her money after what Heidi and Irina did to me."

Tyler nodded. "I know that, Edward, and the rest of the guys know all about it, too. But Bella, she doesn't know the bullshit those women put you through and how what they did made you afraid of commitment. If she had she wouldn't have slept with you."

"I'm not afraid of commitment." I had to make that clear to him, to her. "I don't _want_ one; there's a huge difference."

"Whatever you want to tell yourself, man." He told me to shut up, when I tried to protest. "I know Bella; she'll let it go, but give her some time. Get to know her, see if you can just move on from what happened. Emmett called this morning. He confirmed he's coming home in thirty-two days. Fix it. And be quick."

"How am I supposed to do that if she can't even look at me without glaring?"

Tyler glanced at his watch and smiled. "Will you look at that? I need to get to another job. Bella!"

"What?" she screamed from inside the house. What was it about her screaming that instantly put my dick on alert?

"I'm not going to be able to work for you," Tyler called out.

She ran outside onto the porch, hands on her hips, looking like a fucking Avenger. "Don't do this to me, Tyler."

He shrugged, not even looking sorry. "You once told me sometimes tough love is what it takes to help someone heal. You did that for me for years. Now, it's my turn."

Her eyes teared up, her lips pursing, but she gave him a quick nod.

Tyler left, patting me on the back. "Don't fuck up, man."

I looked up at Bella and tried to smile, but it made the one on her face fall.

"You don't have to be here, Edward. I can have Jake or James come by. They're looking for some extra cash, according to Tyler."

I stepped closer, her scent invading my senses. "Over my fucking dead body will those guys come anywhere near you."

She cocked a slim brow. "That can be arranged, Beastie." She batted her lashes, crossing her arms over her chest, popping her sexy as fuck hip.

I wanted to drop to my knees and lick her pussy until she came in my mouth.

She grinned. "I know a guy who owes me a favor."

I stepped even closer, invading _her_ senses.

Her pupils dilated, her nipples hardened under her shirt, and her breathing was a bit faster.

"From the sounds of it, you know _a lot_ of guys." The implication was clear, even to me.

Next thing I knew I was on my knees for a whole other reason than my little fantasy, cupping my crotch and groaning in pain.

She fucking kneed me . . . in my fucking big dick! _What the fuck?_

"Fuck, you bring out the worst in me, Beastie!" I heard her curse and flail around me, but I was in too much pain to understand one word out of her mouth. I wanted to hate her. I really wanted to hate her.

I didn't.

My aching dick was a masochist, and so was I.

* * *

 **AB: This doesn't look like its going to be easy, does it? Thanks to Midnight Cougar for your help with the chapter. Okay, after the next few days I managed to somehow clear four hours a day for me to write! OMG! Let's hope nothing ruins that, anyway, I wanted to let you know I'm working on the next chapter of Crosshairs, editing The Haunting of Bella Swan, and just working on what talks to me over the next few weeks. Hopefully, I can pick up a good rhythm and routine.**


	3. Resistance is Futile

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Three—Resistance is Futile**

* * *

I grunted when Bella dropped a pack of ice onto my lap, and not too gently either. "I'd say thanks, but…"

"Are you looking for another kick to the nuts, asshole?" She rolled her eyes and sat in another chair across from me in her living room. Her arms wrapped around her knees as she pulled them up to her chest, her eyes on the photos atop the mantel. "Where are the photos of my mother?"

"I packed them up," I answered, averting my eyes. I couldn't look at her, dressed in shorts and an oversized sweater; she looked good enough to fucking devour. My lips never had the pleasure of brushing and nipping along her gorgeous legs.

There was a lot of stuff I didn't get to do to her.

"Stop looking at me like that." Her fire-whiskey eyes met mine, but not an ounce of warmth within them. They were so different from when we argued or talked in metaphors and innuendos the morning before we fucked. "If you don't, you'll force me to categorize you with all the men who made me uncomfortable at work or walking down the street. I don't want to do that, considering you're my brother's friend."

I swallowed, looking away again, my teeth grinding in anger. What I was angry about, I wasn't sure. Maybe the idea she had to endure that kind of shit at the hands of disgusting men or that my looking at her made her that uncomfortable.

"What did you expect from me?" I glanced at her, trying to adjust the ice pack against my thigh. The pain was finally subsiding; despite it, I still had a semi for her. _You're a fucking bastard. She already compared you to creeps and you're still thinking with your dick._

One side of her full lips tilted up; some of the humor of how we used to banter there in her eyes. "I don't know, maybe I thought since you are good friends with some of the best men I've ever met, all who treat me with respect, I expected you to be the same. Perhaps, I thought since you are about ten years older than I am, that maybe, you wouldn't treat me like most of my dates in the past. You know, more like a _boy,_ than a man."

She shook her head, closing her eyes as her head tipped back to stare up at the ceiling. Her brow tightened. "I really thought I met someone that wasn't intimidated by my intellect, who would respect me. I've been going out with men at most a year or two older than me. I had hoped someone older would be more mature. Clearly, ten years is not enough either."

I didn't know what to say. She was comparing me to a snot-nosed, fucking punk. There I was sitting across from her, and she seemed much wiser than I was at her age, and even now.

She looked at me once more, shrugging, continuing her brutal honesty that seemed to cut right through me. "I thought we connected. I don't think I have ever felt that kind of punch to the gut, need to have you now kind of thing. Stupid, I know." Her eyes were glassy for a few moments as our eyes met again, but then they shuttered closed, keeping me out. "Give me some time. That's all I'm asking. I'll get over it, but I should thank you."

"What? Why would you?"

"I can chalk this up to another hard lesson learned." She rose to her feet, gathering our coffee mugs and walking into the kitchen. "Why don't you schedule me in for a couple days a week, after hours, if you still want to do the work? I'll stay out of your way when you're here."

I jumped to my feet, hating how she flinched when I tried to approach her. "I thought you wanted to learn about this part of construction."

She smirked, not one of amusement, far from it. "I think I've learned enough from you, don't you think?"

 _You taught her that men are the biggest dicks. Period. Good job._

I followed her into the kitchen, dumping the partially melted ice pack into the sink. "What are we supposed to tell your brother if we can't get along?"

At the sink, she washed the mugs and some plates of breakfast. Two of them, for her and Tyler. I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"I don't know if my brother ever said anything, but I took to acting in theatre, helped me find a balance to avoid anxiety attacks and manic modes while working, since I was so young. Anyway, I'm pretty good at it. Had several agents inquire about me, but I'm not interested in it being anything more than a hobby. I can fake it."

And just to piss me off, she smiled. There was nothing happy in the curve of her lips; it was sinister in nature.

"Like I faked it the other day." She gasped, her eyes rolling closed, her hands bracing onto the counter. "Oh God, fuck, your cock, mmm, just like that." The words were delivered in a tone that said she was getting well fucked. Her skin flushed just like when my dick was inside her, her nipples tightening under her sweater. She licked her lips before they parted, her breath harsh even to my own ears, her body trembling. "Edward, p-please, oh God, please."

 _Fuck me._

She started to turn toward me, and the moment our eyes met, any evidence I had just seen and heard disappeared, as if it never happened.

 _Had it?_ My imagination had been working in overdrive since I met her.

"See, no problem. I can fake a friendship between us for my brother's sake. It'll be like those first twenty-four hours when we met never happened."

My hands clenched at my sides, my body taking two steps toward her. There was no flinching this time, but she looked extremely satisfied. "You were not faking it when I fucked you against that wall."

She cocked her head to one side, batting her long lashes. "Are you sure about that? I can cry, even blush, and make my nipples tighten on cue. Guess, you'll never know."

"I dare you not to respond to my touch." Two can play at her game, and if it meant I could get my hands and mouth on her, all the better.

She sighed, tapping her feet and appearing thoroughly bored. "Fine, if it'll get you out of my face for another day or two, I'll let you try."

I stepped closer, crowding her against the counter. Her face lifted in defiance to look at me. Again, I hated the lack of warmth in her eyes. Was I wasting my time? Why did I give a fuck if she faked it? I got off. In the end, that was what mattered, right?

My hands settled on either side of her hips on the counter behind her. My nose lightly brushed her jaw as I leaned closer, my lips not far behind. There was no hitch to her breath, and a soft moan refused to slip past her beautiful mouth. Her lashes didn't flutter against my cheek. Her hips remained frozen touching mine.

"Resistance is futile, Bella." I kissed her cheek, just under her ear. The last time I had the pleasure to do it, she whimpered with need.

"In this case my resistance if fucking beautiful." She cocked a slim eyebrow, making my dick hard as fucking titanium. "You can leave now."

I slapped the counter and forced myself to walk across the kitchen, past her living room where we fucked, and toward the driveway as a police cruiser pulled up. I waved at Davis and answered a few quick questions about Paul, telling him what little I knew.

I headed to my truck, as Davis walked up to the front door, then Bella started to scream, startling us into action.

* * *

 **AN: I suppose some people will not like Bella, I'm okay with that, because I do. She's not going to let some asshole walk all over her. Period. Now, why is she screaming? I'm working on this again this weekend, so hopefully I'll update soon. Have a nice weekend! Thanks you Midnight Cougar for all your help with this and everything else.**


	4. Three Cocks and a Hen

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Four—Three Cocks and a Hen**

* * *

Officer Davis didn't hesitate, going through the unlocked door with his police issued gun locked and loaded. I refused to listen to his order to stay back, not when Bella was obviously in trouble.

We had no idea what to expect to find once we reached her. Did she fall? Cut herself? She was washing dishes rather aggressively before I left like my ass was on fire, but it was only my face.

One thing we weren't expecting was to find Bella repeatedly slapping some asshole's chest. "What the hell are you doing here, Paul?" she screamed in the man's face, shaking out her hand. "And fucking naked!"

"You were touching yourself…" The man gulped when he caught the fire in her eyes. "I thought you'd want a hand."

Bella threw her hands in the air in frustration. "I don't need any help getting off."

I looked at Bella's ex; at six feet tall, big and blond, he screamed city boy. Probably had weekly manicures and paid over five hundred dollars for his haircut. I returned my attention to Bella. "You were touching yourself?" Was that smugness in my voice? If I could hear it, then so would she.

Her head tilted to one side, her eyes narrowing in on me. "Seriously? You charge in here after I screamed to see a clearly unwelcomed man in my house and that's what you focus on?"

Before I could defend myself, despite that there was no defending myself, Davis cleared his throat. "You mentioned he was unwelcomed?" He had already put his gun away, which was a shame since the asshole eye-fucking Baby Bella as if she were a Grade-A filet mignon.

 _Like you do, asshole?_ Since when had my head agreed with the pieces left of my heart? I shook away the thought, focusing instead on the situation. Where my attention should be for Emmett's sake. _Riiiiiiight, for Emmett's sake._

I leaned toward the asshole ex, a sinister smile on my lips. "You keep looking at her like that, I'll fucking kick your balls into your asshole, fuck face."

Bella gaped at me as well as Davis, but I only shrugged in response. Baby B cocked an eyebrow that clearly said I should take my own advice. "This man right here, Paul Richardson Jr., has a restraining order against him. He's to stay at least 200 feet away from me."

"Only in the State of Massachusetts."

Bella huffed, rolling her eyes. "You're the dumbest man on the planet." She looked at Officer Davis. "Can you explain to him please? And cover him up."

Officer Davis seemed amused by her, taking the kitchen towel she held out. He tossed it, hitting Paul in the face. "Cover up, Mr. Richardson, as I explain that a restraining order is good in all States. It is suggested that steps be taken to ensure it is enforced once you move, which Ms. Swan had already taken care of."

Paul's eyes widened. Landing on his knees, he started to beg. "Please, Bella, hear me out. We were so good together until—"

"Until you cheated on me? Until you rammed your car into mine? Or how about when you told me I was only in your life for a good time."

I winced, barely keeping myself from punching the asshole as she ranted. She was more angry than sad, despite the glossiness to her dark eyes.

"We don't need to have kids," Paul pleaded, letting the towel over his crotch fall.

No wonder Bella was looking for a bigger cock; for a tall man, Paul was seriously average. I couldn't help the smirk on my face.

"Fuck!" I winced and rubbed the area she just slapped as if she read my mind.

If she could, she'd kick me in the balls more often.

"Stop fucking smirking." She returned her attention to her ex. "Cover yourself up, Paul; compared to the other cocks in the room, you're tiny by comparison."

My eyes snapped to Davis whose hands went instantly up in defense. "Some asshole pantsed me while we were hanging out when she lived here."

"You don't have to explain yourself to him." She glared at me, rolling her eyes again. "He's just the help."

"Ouch, seriously, Baby B." I rubbed the center of my chest, fixing a grin on my face. Her words actually hurt, but I wasn't about to show that shit. "You wound me."

She put her hands on her hips, drawing every red-blooded male's eyes in the room to her gorgeous, bare legs.

"Can we please get to the matter at hand?"

I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest to glare at the asshole who broke the law. "You're going to jail now, since you violated the restraining order."

Davis shook his head, as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "That's my line."

I gestured for him to go ahead, having no problem manhandling the naked asshole. "Better you than me."

Bella walked away, grumbling under her breath, and returning with a pair of joggers and a T-shirt much too big for her.

Who the fuck did those belong to?

Bella hissed at me, looking murderous. _Did I say that out loud?_ By the look in her eyes, I would say yes, watching as she handed them to Paul. Careful not to touch him. "Get dressed at least."

"Thank you so much, Isabella darling." He pulled on the clothes as he rose to his feet. "You always had a kind heart. That's what I loved most about you."

"Cut the crap; you're still going to jail." Her fisted hands landed on her hips again, her foot tapping.

Paul's baby face went slack for a moment, twisting to a murderous snarl. "You're not pressing chargers. I'm willing to give you everything you wanted, overlook that you can't have children." The man fucking shuddered, causing Bella's breath to hitch, her face blanching of color.

She looked at Davis for a second, then the floor.

I stood closer, allowing our arms to touch, hoping to give the strength to stand up to this asshole.

She squared her shoulders and held up her chin.

"You have nothing I want." Bella's hands shook as her hands rose to her hair to pull. A nervous habit? I wasn't sure; I'd have to spend more time with her to find out. "I don't get it, Paul." Davis started to read him his rights as he approached Paul. "Why after six months apart did you decide I was good enough? You knew about the deal, knew about the money coming to me."

Paul hung his head, his face a patchy-red. "Because I love you."

Bella stood on her tiptoes to yell in his face. "Bullshit. You never loved me. Remember, you said, 'You're not marriage material, _Isabella._ Why would I allow myself to feel anything for you?'"

It took every fiber in my body to not beat the man to a bloody fucking pulp. _Who says that kind of shit to a woman?_

"What an asshole," Davis said under his breath. "Let me read him his rights and we'll get to the bottom of this."

Bella nodded, watching as Davis handcuffed the asshole and sat him down on one of the barstools for the kitchen island.

"Explain yourself, you owe me that much."

Paul shook his head, shrugging. "I don't owe you anything, not if you're going to press charges against me."

"There's no _if,_ " Davis stated, a stern look in his eyes.

"Tell me, Paul." Bella's voice sounded firm, but there was a softness in her voice when he said her name.

I fucking hated it.

Paul seemed to have noticed too, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "My dad cut me off."

Bella groaned. "He wouldn't do that unless you went through your allowance and that only happens…" Her eyes widened. "You're gambling again." She didn't state it as a question, but a fact. "You fell back to your old habits." Her eyes closed, biting her lips, as she seemed to be thinking hard. "Where did you go? Atlanta again?"

It was something she dealt with, that much was obvious. For someone so young to deal with somebody with an addiction, she obviously tried to help Paul through it. Probably did for a while, but she was only a Band-Aid. Paul had to save himself.

"Vegas." His whisper, barely audible, hung in the air, until Bella started cursing and throwing her hands around, pacing.

"I'm guessing that means something to you," Davis said, watching Bella with keen interest. Asshole. They might have been friends in the past, but he clearly wanted more.

 _Get in line, asshole._

Keeping my voice level, I addressed her. "Bella? Why is Vegas a problem?"

Bella looked at me, but she turned away. "Sorry, Edward, but this is my problem. Please leave, I'll take care of it."

"Seeing as you're my best friend's little sister and I'm supposed to take care of _you_ , I'm not going anywhere."

"You already took care of me, but I don't want or need your help." She waved at Davis to get on with it, following Paul and Davis out to the police cruiser. She bent as the waist, giving an eyeful of her chest to Paul as he sat in the car. "Eyes up here, asshole."

"Are you going to help me?" The fucker was using Bella's kind nature against her. The fucking dick deserved a pounding, and not the good kind.

"How much do you owe Marcus?" There was no warmth in her voice or her eyes.

"About two-hundred-fifty thousand."

Davis cursed at the same time as me. "Ms. Swan, it's out of my jurisdiction, but I can make a few phone calls—"

Bella held up her hand, slamming the back door of the cruiser closed. "Not necessary. Marcus allowed this to happen to get my attention."

"Looks like he has it." Davis looked nervous, writing down _Marcus_ in his little notebook. "What's his last name?"

Bella smirked, shrugging. "I have no idea."

Davis snapped his notebook closed. "You can't go head-to-head with these types of people, Ms. Swan. We can help you."

"At the risk of my friends?" She glanced my way, but averted her eyes just as quickly, motioning that she was zipping her lips. "I walked away unscathed before; this won't be any different. Marcus will get his money and whatever he wants from me."

"What does he want from you?" I was afraid to ask, but I had to know what I was walking into.

"Me."

"Like fucking hell will that happen on my watch," I said through clenched teeth, my hands tightening into fists. "I will never let that happen."

"It's not what you think," she said, refusing to clarify. "And you're not going to be on watch. Jasper and Tyler can come with me." She acted as though she had a choice.

"Jasper is in the middle of a huge project in Port Angeles that requires his attention. Tyler is needed on a few projects. Your only choice is me." The lie slipped easily from my mouth, instantly coming up with a plan to make sure Jasper and Tyler were unavailable.

"I don't like this, Ms. Swan. Emmett is my friend, too." Davis pointed at Bella. "So were you once upon a time."

Bella smiled, rubbing Davis's arm. "We had some good times."

"Good times," I hissed too low for either of them to hear. "She'll be safe with me. We'll make it clear we can pay the money and tell this Marcus asshole that if Paul gets in trouble again, Bella will _not_ bail him out."

"You're not going." Bella stomped toward the house, telling Davis she'd head to the police station in thirty minutes. "I can take care of myself."

"By putting yourself in the hands of some loan shark?" I stood toe-to-toe with her, staring her down. Something in her eyes said that Marcus was much worse. "Jesus, Marcus is some kind of kingpin?"

"No, but he owns the casino where he caught me 'cheating'," she said, making quotation marks. "Besides, I already said you're not going."

I tipped her chin up, my touch causing her breath to hitch again. "I'm going. Don't bother trying to talk me out of it. If you leave without me, I'll follow."

The fire I fucking loved sparked in her eyes. "You're not giving me a choice, are you?"

She had no idea. My thumb brushed along her bottom lip, making my breath catch, my dick hardening, loving that softness. "And Bella," I leaned closer, our mingled breaths the only thing between us. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Her eyes narrowed, soon dipping down to my mouth. "That sounds like a promise, no, a threat."

The corner of my lips tipped up, pressing the hint of a kiss on hers. "Wanna make a bet?"

* * *

 **AN: Oh boy, will she be able to resist? Thanks to Midnight Cougar for your help with the chapter. Let's see if I can continue on this roll I seem to be on. Not sure, but I'm not in a good place mentally, writing and crafting seem to be the only things keeping me afloat right now.**


	5. Vegas or Bust

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Five—Vegas or Bust**

* * *

"Explain to me why you have to pay Paul's debts for him?" Did I sound pissed? If I heard the annoyance in my voice, my Beauty did, too.

 _Stop calling her that, idiot._

I shook away the thought and focused on the current situation, all the while following Bella into her bedroom. I watched as she started to pack a bag, which seemed to tick her off.

"Go away."

I folded my arms over my chest, leaning against the doorjamb. Not giving a damn if she decided to stay pissed at me. It was nothing new or something that would likely go away overnight. "Not happening, and answer my question."

She glared at me. "Why don't you head to your place and pack a bag, since you're so determined to join me." She mumbled something else that sounded like she couldn't understand why.

I wasn't about to tell her the reason. Hell, I was struggling with believing the load of shit I fed her about protecting her for Emmett's sake. It would be easy to call one of her adopted brothers to handle the situation, but fuck that.

I needed to be the one to watch over her. If I happened to get a chance inside her pussy again, all the better. Though, her giving off a cold shoulder vibe, I highly doubted it would happen. Even in Vegas.

"I ain't stupid."

"Could've fooled me." She shrugged, not even apologetic for insulting me. "What? I'm a fucking catch; any man would be lucky to have me. But, for some reason, no one wants to." The vulnerability in her words caught her off guard, and she shook her head at herself.

She was confident, intelligent, independent as fuck, and I could see why most men would head in another direction. She intimidated them, plain and simple. Pussies couldn't get past their own egos to realize she was exactly what she said, a catch.

That was not the reason why I couldn't give her more. I didn't want a relationship. Not with her or anyone else. Had my heart broken one too many times already?

 _You never loved them, dumbass._ Since when had I allowed my heart to do the talking? There was no use in listening to that traitorous organ.

"You can go, Edward. We can always meet at the airport." The sass back in her eyes and her firm words.

An equally strong fire was the only way to get through to her big fucking brain. Men weren't the only ones with egos. "Enough! You are not leaving my sight, because the second I leave this place to go pack a bag, you'll disappear to Vegas on your own. I'm going with you, end of discussion on that front. Now, answer the damn question."

Her hands went up in the air, displaying the cute as hell belly button she had. A tiny little thing that had a red heart tattooed right beside it. I knew she had on her neck. Did she have more?

 _You're not going to find out anytime soon._

Fuck, she was ranting and I had no idea what she had said.

"Go back to the beginning." I waved my hand, pretty much cementing that I hadn't heard a word she said.

"Well, if you'd stop eye-fucking me maybe you'd hear me instead of the blood rushing through you to your dick." She rolled her eyes, tapping her sexy little foot, waiting for me to deny it.

She'd wait for a long time before I even acknowledged her words. A sound that was close a growl emitted through her lips and instantly sent my half-hard cock to full-blown, ready to rumble and tumble, aching erect.

"It's hard to concentrate when you're looking like the way you are." I could admit that at least, no use in denying I wanted her.

Not the way she deserved.

She turned away, lifted her shirt over her head, showing me a constellation of tiny, cinnamon freckles all along her back.

My mouth watered.

My balls tightened.

My dick was ready to punch through my jeans.

"It's not an invitation," she hissed, her eyes bouncing between my feet and hers.

I had stepped forward, with my arms stretched out, ready to reach for her. I hadn't even noticed. "Answer the question!"

She finished getting dressed in a thicker sweater over a tiny tank top, sans fucking bra. "Not that it's any of your business—"

I stepped closer, forcing her to look at me, my hand on her arm.

She stared at my fingers wrapped around her bicep, her body frozen. A moment too many passed, then she shook me off and looked up at me. "As I said, it's none of your business."

"It is when you're my best friend's sister. It is when you're about to step into what sounds like a lion's den. For what? To help some asshole who hurt you."

"Once upon a time, I did care for Paul." She gave me a look that indicated, I wouldn't understand. "I'm not about to let Paul suffer because Marcus set a trap for me." She turned to her packing, barely looking at the items she tossed into the suitcase. "I don't think he'd kill Paul, maybe break his hands, for sure. Paul is an asshole, but he's going to be a brilliant surgeon once he gets his head out of his ass, save a lot of lives, too."

Saving lives was important to her.

"Why does this Marcus fucker want to see you so bad that he'd risk a quarter of a million dollars? Why not just pick up a goddamn phone?"

Bella sighed, patting my shoulder in a placating manner. "Probably a lot like you, Marcus has a lot of pride, and he's stubborn."

I opened my mouth to deny her claim, but the look she gave me clearly said if I did, she'd stop talking. I grunted and asked her to continue.

"He won't ask for my help, instead, he'd rather present a situation that would force me to suggest I help. It's a game we play." Did she sound sort of wistful? She turned away, opening a drawer to finish packing. "Or he wants to fuck me again."

Again.

Again.

Again.

The words clanked around in my brain like a fucking gong. My already simmering blood due to lust started to boil. My hands hurt from how hard they were clenching. She was still talking, but it didn't break through an unfamiliar red haze clouding my vision.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

The man she felt she owed a quarter of a million dollars to was someone she'd been with in the past. And she was about to walk into his clutches again. Not because someone was holding a gun to her, or because she loved Paul, but because she felt it was the right thing to do.

She cared about people, period. _Like she would for you if only you'd let her._

I rubbed my chest, suddenly angry with her for whatever the fuck I was feeling—because I knew it was jealousy. I ignored the more sensible part of me and lashed out as usual.

"Would you—" There was no missing the way I was breathing, harsh and riddled with…panic? _Fuck._ Though calmer, anger still coated my next words. "Would you _fuck_ him to pay off the debt?"

She turned to me, hands on her hips, a cruel twist to her lips. Anger from her was a hundred times better than indifference or vulnerability. "First you saw me as _Baby Bella_." She sneered her nickname. "Then, after spending all day getting to know each other, I was nothing but a fuck. Now, you think I'd whore myself out for Paul!"

She was justified in her ire; it was exactly what I was thinking. _Emmett needs to strip my skin off my bones for this shit._

Instead of admitting that I jumped to conclusions, I stepped close enough to feel the warmth of her body. "What the hell else am I supposed to think?"

"Oh, I don't know, that I'd go talk with him and figure out how to work this out like a mature adult."

I snorted. "A man doesn't risk losing that much money to _talk_." Then again, I didn't have that kind of disposable income. If I did, would I pay for a night with Bella?

My dick said, yes.

My heart slapped the back of my head.

My head agreed with my dick.

That wasn't good, because I needed my head on straight around this woman.

She cocked her head, her eyes narrowing. "I'd kick you if I didn't fear a stress fracture in my foot."

That kind of banter I could handle. Her words sounded like a compliment to me. "Thanks for the stroking of my ego, and speaking of stroking," I smirked, irking her more, "Paul said you were touching yourself." I stepped until her chest brushed mine, my hands itching to grab hold of her hips.

She didn't stiffen or move away. Instead, she delivered a hard truth for me to swallow. "The fact you only heard my vague implication of how big your dick is, tells me exactly what kind of man you are."

A clever retort was on the tip of my tongue, even though she was right. I had practically accused her of being willing to pay off Paul's debt with her body. When I should've apologized, I decided to talk with my dick in control.

Yet, I couldn't let her have the last word.

"That's right, Baby Bella. Use me as the perfect example of what not to look for in Mr. Right." I held my ground, though I wanted to step back and wrap my head around the fact I said that shit.

"I'm not whoring myself out."

The softness of her voice made me wonder if she had a similar conversation in the past. I also noticed what she hadn't said. She didn't plan to fuck Marcus to pay off Paul's debit, but she hadn't said she _wouldn't_ sleep with him for another reason.

Because she wanted to. I wanted to argue about that, but I needed answers more.

"Let's get back to the issue. What could he possibly want from you that this asshole would lend Paul that kind of money?"

Bella didn't want to answer the question, but she seemed to decide to pick her battles. "When his team assumed I was cheating after my three-day winning streak at his casino. I was _asked_ to meet with him."

From the emphasis on the word asked, it wasn't a request but a demand. I hated assholes like that.

"I noticed security footage of all the high rolling tables." Another wistful smile on her lips, her eyes the color of expensive whiskey seemed fixed on some point in her past.

Fuck that shit, she needed to focus on the future. Not some rich asshole from Vegas. I snapped my fingers in her face, nearly groaning when her soft fingers wrapped around my wrist.

Did she think I'd hit her?

She shoved my hand away. "Quit acting like an idiot."

"I was trying to snap you out of a daydream."

She fucking rolled her eyes. "You were seething."

Was I? "I was not." I'd been reduced to playground comebacks. I crossed my arms over my chest to prevent myself from reaching for her again.

"Your nostrils were flaring, the pulse on your neck is actually visible, and the blue vein on your forehead looks ready to explode."

"Adrenaline rush." Why couldn't she let it go?

"There's a flush to your skin."

Was she stalling? I ignored her observation to put us back on track. "What about your first meeting with Marcus?"

"Once the introductions were out of the way, I sat down and told Marcus that at least two dealers and five players were working together and robbing him blind."

She couldn't have shocked me more. "You saw that?" I leaned against the wall by the dresser. "In those few seconds of passing by those monitors, you saw all that, didn't you?"

"It provided me another angle from when I was playing cards, confirming my suspicions, so yes." She looked pleased with herself, and that warmth I missed was back in her eyes. "He didn't believe me of course, but I told him I could prove it and all I needed was the surveillance video of the last few weeks."

"And you proved it?"

"I did." She turned from the dresser with handfuls of lace, satin, silk, and see-thru fabric. As if she planned to get into someone's bed.

My bed.

 _Or in bed with Marcus,_ I reminded myself.

Over my dead body.

.

.

.

* * *

For the last two and a half hours, I cursed Bella in my mind a thousand times. She somehow managed to be upgraded to first class after we were seated, leaving me behind in coach. A too-friendly flight attendant, a woman who chewed about a hundred sticks of gum, and a couple who got off twice in the two seats in front of me, were my only company for the flight.

"Quit pouting." Bella rolled her eyes as she grabbed her bag from the conveyor. "She picked me to be upgraded, saying I looked uncomfortable with you."

 _What the fuck?_

Without thinking, my hand clamped down on her arm, forcing her to turn around. "Are you uncomfortable around me?"

She looked pissed; flushed skin, pursed lips, even her breathing had changed. "My body says 'hell no,' the rest of me says yes."

Her honesty had me dropping my hand and stepping away from her. It couldn't have been easy for her to confess what she was feeling. The asshole part of me wanted to use what she said to my advantage. The good guy, the one who deserved friends like Jasper, Tyler, Eric, and Emmett told me to drop it and to give her space.

 _For now._

Bella cursed a few times, though she seemed angry with herself. "Let's go." She turned away and marched toward the exit, forcing me to scramble to get my bag and follow her.

"What's your rush?" I caught up with her, taking her bag. _What? I can be a gentleman._

"For one thing, I'm starving." Bella rubbed her stomach, moaning a little.

Why did every sound she made make my dick come to attention? I willed that monster down by sheer force, using Emmett's fat ass in a thong as the image to kill my erection.

"And?"

"We didn't make any reservations, but the casino we're going to has plenty of VIP rooms free in case a high roller decides to stay the night."

"Makes sense, but why would Marcus think you're a high roller? How much money did you win?" I wanted to ask if she had cheated by counting cards or some other brainy strategy, but a fuzzy memory of the guys mentioning she won some big math award came to mind.

"Three." She blushed when I glared at her. "Three hundred thousand."

I stopped walking, staring at her figure in shock. She kept walking away, heading straight for a taxi at the curb outside the airport. At this point in our _friendship_ ,I wouldn't put it past her to leave without me.

But when did Bella do anything expected?

She handed her bag to the young driver, a scrawny, greasy, black-haired kid, giving him a big smile and getting one in return. The moment her back turned to get in the car, the asshole was eye-fucking her ass.

I threw my bag at his chest; the fucker barely caught it. "She's with me."

One look at me and he simply nodded. I only hoped I could intimidate that Marcus asshole as easily.

.

.

.

* * *

Since the moment we walked into the lobby of the hotel/casino Marcus owned, I swore I felt as though we were being watched. Bella had tried to get us two adjoined rooms, but I immediately told the clerk to get us one room with one bed. If Marcus were watching us, then he'd know we were there together, even if we technically weren't.

 _Yet._

"Stop glaring at me," I stated, as the elevator rushed upward. Her stare was burning a hole at the side of my head. I explained my reasoning, expecting to see her angrier. She was grinning.

"You're jealous," she sang, batting her long lashes at me. Shit. Her eyes should be considered a weapon—most would be easily seduced under their spell.

"Fuck no." My reply was a bit too fast and firm, reducing its credibility to even my own ears.

Neither of us said another word on the way to our floor, but Bella occasionally giggled and hummed one of those fake chastity brothers' solo music under her breath. The instant the elevator doors opened, I wondered if Bella had made a mistake. It opened to a luxurious suite, the kind that cost over thirty thousand a night.

A man dressed in a nice black suit bowed slightly, taking Bella's bag from her. "My name is Alec. I'll be at your service for the duration of your stay. You've been upgraded Miss Swan, courtesy of the owner." He handed her a new set of key cards, explaining she only had to hold it to the scanner in the elevator and it would take her straight to our floor, no stops in between.

"I know the routine Alec." Bella rolled her eyes at the lavish accommodations. "Guess I shouldn't expect anything less than the best while I'm here."

 _Did Bella know this brute?_

The man was overly tanned and as big as Emmett and Taylor put together. He gave Bella an indulgent smile and then turned to me. "The suite has three bedrooms; I would like to suggest the one there. The bed should accommodate your height and the décor is more to your liking, I'm sure."

Bella tried to suppress another giggle, catching on what I had figured out. Marcus wanted to know the nature of my relationship with Bella and to ensure we weren't sharing a bed.

I chuckled, taking Bella's bag from him. "The little misses and I will pick one of them out together. Your services will not be required for a few hours—I'm feeling ravenous." I grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her toward one of the rooms Alec hadn't picked out. She was trying to fight me but soon gave up the struggle.

"You're going to piss him off." Bella sat at the edge of the bed once entering the room, falling back and covering her face. "I need Marcus to be in a pleasant mood so I can work out a deal with him."

I didn't want to think about how she'd accomplish making him feel pleasant. Instead, I focused on her.

My feet moved of their own accord toward the temptation she presented to me. Her stomach was exposed, the smallest hint of a tiny heart tattoo called to me like a beacon.

Brazenly, I traced the heart with the tip of my finger, raised my eyes to meet hers, and waited for her reaction.

After several moments of silence, she propped herself on her elbows and whispered, "I feel that you're going to be my biggest regret."


	6. What Happens in Vegas

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Six—What Happens in Vegas…**

* * *

My finger stopped at the dip of her hip, meeting her dark gaze. "And you'll be mine."

I meant it, however, that it wouldn't change anything.

Bella hummed, her eyes closing as my finger continued its trek around her belly button again. I traced the shape of her hips, slid up between her breasts. My thumb brushed the top curve, my breath no longer under my control.

 _You're not in control._

I wanted to mount her like a fucking animal, thrust and thrust until she could no longer deny the connection we had.

 _She's not denying it, you are._

I forced my conscience to the back of my mind, focusing instead on the woman laid out before me. Her hair was shiny and seemed so unreal that anyone would want to touch it just to see if it was as soft as it appeared. My other hand rose to run my fingers through the waves.

I groaned, unable to hold it back.

Her stomach then decided to remind me she was hungry.

She giggled, rolling away, which gave me an incredible view of her ass. It looked as soft as her hair, softer, in fact.

My teeth itched to take a bite. I rubbed my hands over my face. "Fucking hell." I walked away before I did something she'd regret, and over to the phone beside the nightstand.

Except the phone didn't call downstairs, it called the asshole somewhere in the suite awaiting orders. "Yes, _sir._ " I wanted to laugh at the distaste Alec had in calling me, sir.

"We need two steaks, medium rare, and lobsters up to our suite." I didn't bother with the please and thank you because it was his job. Plus, I hated the fact all the luxury around us was being taken care of by someone in Bella's past.

 _Someone she fucked._ Damn that little voice in my head for reminding me.

"Order me a strawberry milkshake please." Bella breezed on by, holding up sleepwear as she headed to the master bathroom. "Extra cherries too." There was an added sway to her hips I hadn't noticed before.

Was that all for me?

I doubted it.

"Shall I include Miss Swan's usual?" Alec asked, and there was a hint of smugness in his voice. Enough to indicate that she came there often.

 _Don't think about how many times she_ came _in the casino or else you'll kill someone._

Curious what Bella would consider her usual, I agreed and hung up without another word. I grabbed my bag and found a pair of sweats I'd tossed inside in case Bella and I shared a room. I hadn't wanted to make it obvious I wanted to share a bed too.

I always slept naked; the only exception was camping. That was a story the guys would love to share with Bella. Not that I would allow it. _Stupid fucking leeches._

It hardly mattered if I did or didn't wear anything to bed, because considering how Marcus was showing his cards early, I had every intention to share a room with her. She wasn't leaving my sight, and I had to make that very clear.

With my toothbrush and shampoo/body wash in hand, I walked into the bathroom. I expected my Beauty to scream or at least appear surprised by the intrusion. Instead, as per usual, she pretended not to give a fuck about what I was doing. She continued to rub conditioner in her hair, pointing at a slick little white razor on the counter.

"Hand that to me please." She closed her eyes. Her arms were up, hands in her hair, rubbing and rubbing.

And fuck, my perpetual hard-on was leaking and desperate to follow every bubble sliding down her skin.

"Earth to Edward, are you even listening?"

I had to shake it off. "Sorry, all the blood was rushing through my ears."

A slim brow lifted, calling me out on my shit. "Are you sure it's your ears and not…?"

"Now who's giving the mixed signals?"

She shrugged, returning her attention to finishing her shower.

I opened the clear glass enclosure with every intention of giving her the razor and leaving, but couldn't help myself. "Why are you allowing this?"

Her eyes snapped open, her teeth torturing her bottom lip for a second too long. Enough to allow me to invade her space to pull the soft, pink skin free.

"What's the saying? 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.'" Her arms fell to her sides as she took a step back, her eyes on me.

Was she saying I was free to fuck her with no strings attached?

"I can have you here, but when we get back…"

Her face lost every ounce of lust in less than a second. "It'll be as if this," she pointed to me and her, "never existed."

I rubbed my lips, so fucking tempted by what she was saying.

She cocked her head when I hadn't said nor done anything to her robotic reply. "What's the matter, Edward? I thought this was what you wanted."

It was.

Maybe.

Fuck it—be honest.

"I'm trying to decide if a couple of days will be enough." It wasn't, and I knew it.

She gave me one of her indulgent smiles, pointing out the fact I had lost my clothes at some point.

 _What the fuck?_

"We'll be here less than twenty-four hours; that's all I'm offering." She swiped the razor from my hand and grabbed some shaving gel. "Take some time to decide, if that's what you need. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The dismissal was what unraveled the little control I had left. I lifted her in my arms, the gel and razor falling to the tiled floor. She didn't seem one bit surprised by the sudden need to have her. The fucking brat knew exactly what to say and do to make me ravenous.

Her arms draped over my shoulders, that slim brow still taunting me. "I guess you've decided."

"Shut up, _Baby Bella_."

Her lips curled into a snarl, her fingers tugging at my hair. "You're going to regret that." She leaned in close, her lips hovering over my own. Instead of pressing her mouth to mine, she laid a hot trail along my jaw, sucking little bites that made my knees tremble. Then she bit me.

"F-fuck, you little vampire." I pushed her against the tile, water cascading around us. She moaned as my cock thrust against her. "This seems familiar."

She laughed in a way that made my blood run cold. It wasn't something fun and light. "Guess the only way you'll have me is for a quick and dirty fuck against the wall."

If I looked into her eyes, I knew I would see anger and lust within them, but hate too. I should walk away. Apologize and tell her I didn't want to hurt her more.

Instead, I thrust inside her.

She screamed, her nails biting down along my back.

I groaned, so deep and long that I lost my breath. That shit only happened in movies, make-believe. Just as being with her would feel like a dream after the memories faded. Those thoughts made me angry, my hips moving at a punishing speed and force.

"Oh fuck, fuck, fuck." Her head lolled to one side, and I took full advantage of it. She hissed and bucked her hips as I bit and sucked until I left a mark.

What possessed me to do it? I wasn't sure, but the contrast from her ivory skin to the dark purple made my cock swell inside her.

Her mouth latched onto my mine, her "Fuck yes," mingling between us. Her pussy clenched around me and the threat to come much too soon lingered. The light flutters along my cock as I continued to fuck her felt incredible.

I pulled out and allowed her to slip down my body, enjoying every second of her skin on mine.

Delirious and confused, she looked up from my still hard cock and questioned me with that slim brow I wanted to fucking bite at that point.

"Let's finish up here and move to the bedroom."

She shrugged as if I hadn't given her the best orgasm ever. Picking up the razor and gel, she continued her shower as I washed up as fast as possible.

I watched as she slathered her gorgeous legs with gel and shaved in sections. One foot on the tiled bench in the shower. It gave me a fantastic view. The second she rinsed off with the handheld showerhead, I pounced.

She moaned as my hands cupped her breasts from behind, my fingers pinching them until she started to push against my hips.

I grabbed a handful of her wet hair, allowing me to look at the side of her face. "Hold on to the bench." She complied easily, her ass at the perfect height for what I wanted to do next. "Tell me if I hurt you."

She made a scoffing noise that soon turned into another moan as my cock slipped inside her. I knew in that position it was harder for her to take all of me. She pushed back faster, taking me by surprise. My entire cock wrapped in soft, hot perfection.

"Fucking hell, Beauty." I gave her a light smack and made her pussy clench around me. I tested out what was good for her and myself, finding a rhythm that made us both lose ourselves to the pleasure. I pulled her hair and tugged on her nipples, occasionally brushing a finger over her clit.

I tried to kiss her, but she gave me nothing but her cheek. When I made another attempt at her lips, she did it again. My hand tightened in her hair, close to the roots, and I hissed in her ear. "Why don't you want to kiss, Beauty." My next thrust was harder, making her breath hitch. "You going Pretty Woman on me."

She turned to look at me over her shoulder, glaring at another implication of whoring herself out. "Shut up, Beast. Just fuck me."

She hated herself at that moment.

I released her hair, grabbed her hips, and fucked her until we were both out of breath and barely able to stand. Her climax hit her so hard she had to catch herself as her arms buckled under the force. Mine finally brought me to my knees.

I cradled her in my arms, amazed the water washing over us was still warm. After a few minutes, Bella stiffened within my arms but tried to relax again. My arms loosened around her, allowing her to get up and rinse off the part of me slipping down her thighs.

I watched as she finished her nightly routine without another word. She left me alone in the bathroom minutes later. At a loss, my head in fucking shambles, I grabbed some body wash and washed up.

I didn't bother to shave at the sink, but I caught my reflection in the mirror. A wash of redness was high on my cheeks, evidence of what had taken place less than ten minutes before. It was my eyes that surprised me. Lust was still within them, but longing was prominent.

"What the fuck?" My words seemed to echo around me.

Quick to finish up, I slipped on the sweats and went to search for Bella. She was fucking with my head. That had to be what was happening in my brain. She wasn't in the bedroom, reminding me we had ordered food. The bedroom door opened so hard, I feared she left to look for Marcus.

"Bella!" A quick look around indicated she wasn't in the living room of the suite.

"Ms. Swan asked for a moment alone, sir." Alec appeared out of nowhere, gesturing toward the table covered with food. "Your food is still quite warm." He bowed slightly; his smile seemed out of place. "Would you like me to open the wine?"

I nodded and took a seat, having noticed one of the other bedrooms doors ajar. Why would she need a moment alone?

 _She hates herself remember?_

My whole body seized at that thought.

"Marcus remembered my favorite products!" Bella came out of the opened bedroom door, her hands full of fancy toiletries. "Can you thank him for me, Alec?"

"I will, Ms. Swan." He handed her a glass of wine and smiled at her. "Will that be all tonight, Miss?"

Bella looked thoughtful and handed him the products. "Please put these in that bathroom then you're free to go for the evening."

"Would you like your usual for breakfast?" Alec stood at his full height, every inch of him welcoming. Not at all that smug demeanor, he'd just had for me.

"Yes, times two please, along with an eight o'clock wake up call." She patted his hand, slipping a hundred-dollar bill into his palm.

"As you wish, Ms. Swan." Alec disappeared into the bedroom Bella and I would share later, no doubt smelling the sex that lingered in the bathroom. Good. His boss needed to know she wasn't there for anything more than to clear Paul's debt.

Bella took a seat across the table from me, grabbing her strawberry milkshake first. She moaned as she sipped on the straw, her eyes rolling closed.

I shifted in my seat. A quick glance at an ornate wall clock told me the evening was still young. Could I convince her to allow me to taste all of her? For her to taste all of me?

She giggled and shook her head. "Later, give my pussy a break."

I groaned as that word slipped through her reddened lips, hiding it behind a fake cough. My fork and knife cut through the steak with ease, as the rest of me did its best to ignore her continuing laughter. Was the anger and sadness I'd seen for a mere second a figment of my imagination?

"Alec should be gone in a couple of minutes." As if Alec had heard her, he appeared and said goodnight one more time, disappearing out of the suite. "We're alone now."

Instinct had me choosing my words carefully, even though a part of me knew she was putting up a wall. The no kissing thing was evidence of that. I should be happy, thrilled, in fact.

"And what are our plans for the rest of the night?"

She cocked her head, giving me a look that asked, _"Are you stupid?"_

I was really fucking stupid.

I chuckled, swallowing the doubts away. This was how it had to be. "I just wanted to make sure we're on the same page."

"Of course." She looked away, whispering something I wasn't meant to hear. "We're not even in the same book."

I pretended not to have heard her words. Might as well get used to pretending, something I'd have to do when we returned.

Pretend that everything between us was only friendly.

Pretend I didn't want to sink my cock in her at every opportunity.

Pretend in front of my best friends that she was nothing more than a little sister.

Pretend that I didn't want to tear her clothes off when I saw her.

Pretend that the asshole lucky enough to call her his wouldn't piss me off.

"Eat up, Edward; you're going to need your energy." She tapped her fork on my plate, getting my attention.

I shook away the dread and focused on her, smirking. "I'm going to want dessert."

Her eyes widened, her hands clutching her strawberry milkshake to her chest. "Mine."

"That isn't the dessert I had in mind, Beauty." My smile widened when I noticed her shifting on her seat.

It took us almost forty minutes to finish our steaks and lobsters and the few beers she must have ordered for me. She was significantly more relaxed on a full stomach. Her chair moved easily over the wood floor, her arms stretching high above her head. The robe she wore was silk and glided over smooth, soft skin teasingly. It gaped open between her thighs, making my mouth water.

As she moved to pass me, I grabbed hold of her hip, earning a startled yelp. It made me smile. I pushed back my chair and pulled her to stand in front of me. My fingers undid the little bow in the robe's sash, teasing her nipples before I pushed it off her shoulders. Satisfaction filled me when I watched it slide down her body to lie at her feet. Hunger gnawed at my insides, causing my grip to tighten on her hips.

"Edward," she whispered, her arms circling my neck. Her lips were soft on my head, as my own teased her nipples, pliant under the sweep of my tongue. Silky fingers slipped through my hair as I traced my mark on her with my lips, deepening the color. Only for a moment.

I rose to my feet, pushing away plates, utensils, and domed lids, lying her down to devour openly. My eyes caressed every inch visible, my lips soon following their trail. Her fingers tightened and loosened in my hair as I teased her nipples, grazed her belly button, and left lingering marks on her hips.

She moaned at the first swipe of my tongue on her clit, another following at the first thrust of my tongue inside her.

I pulled away, though I had to fight her grabby hands, causing us to laugh. She smiled as I explained, "I need to sit down to enjoy this dessert."

With every moan of my name, as I brought her to orgasm on my tongue several times, I wanted to thrust inside her and never leave. So, I did.

I fucked her on the table, breaking a few plates.

I fucked her over the arm of the fancy damask fabric couch until we were both covered in sweat.

I fucked her mouth as she laid spread eagle on the bed, her head over the edge to allow her throat to swallow me almost to the base.

I laid her on the bed one last time, slipped inside her, and took it slow, my eyes on hers, open and naked for once. She allowed me to kiss her until we came together.

I fell asleep with her back to my chest, my arms around her. Sated and exhausted. Sometime in the early hours, I swore I felt her leave the bed. I wasn't sure how much time passed, but I realized I was alone as the phone on the nightstand rang.

"Hello."

"This is your eight a.m. wake up call."

"Yeah, thanks." I hung up, hating how Alec sounded so goddamned pleased again. I called out for Bella, even though I didn't want her to meet up with Alec's boss. I rolled out of bed, groaning at the aches and pains in my overused muscles.

That made me smile. What a fucking awesome way to work out. I took a leak in the bathroom, brushed my teeth, noticing she had done the same recently, too. Maybe she ordered some breakfast. I finished cleaning up, deciding a quick shower was in need since I smelled like sex.

I dressed in some black slacks and a white button-up and went in search of Bella. There was no sign she had started on breakfast, our meals still covered by the shiny silver domes. No note. Nothing. I realized the other bedroom door was opened again, a hint of perfume in the air. I followed it into the room and saw Bella's tiny sleepwear on the floor by the bed.

On the bed was a gift box, delicate tissue the only thing inside other than a small card.

 _A lovely dress for a lovely woman. Would you join me for breakfast, my dear?_

The words made me crumble the card in my hand, as the dread I ignored earlier reared its ugly head.

She was gone, dressed in some fancy dress that probably made her look like a million dollars. Alone with Marcus, a man from her past. A man she fucked.

A man who wanted something more from her.

My Beauty was gone, my anger and jealousy burning through all rational thought. Marcus was a dead man if he laid a hand on her.

I truly felt like the beast that she called me. Time to really fucking earn the name.


	7. Meeting Marcus

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Seven—Meeting Marcus**

* * *

 **Bella**

A small security detail led me through the main central hub of the building. The monitors were all off, quite unusual to see in a casino's security office. It seemed that Marcus wanted me to work harder to earn my "consulting fee." It had been much too easy the first-time security escorted me through the area.

The game we'd played since we first met needed to come to a stop.

I had rejected his proposal after initially saying yes without thinking of the fact that his family and "business partners" would never approve of our marriage. Though, they were one of several reasons why we would never have worked out.

" _You're rebelling,"_ I had argued with Marcus.

His father and mother paid me a visit on two separate occasions after he announced our engagement to his family. They reminded me of the importance of having an heir to take over for Marcus as the head of the families when he stepped down. None of them ever admitted they were mafia, rumors ran rampant. Marcus needed to have a son or daughter to guarantee the leadership would remain in the immediate family. If not, another family would rule and take the organization in a direction they had avoided for generations—human trafficking. Even if the little shit Aro, the next in line, chose not to follow along the dark path, he had no head for the business and would potentially ruin them.

Nothing had changed since I made the choice to leave him. Had I remained, his family would've made my life a living hell, and family played a huge roll in his life. I had no doubt I could've gone toe-to-toe with any member of his family; however, I would've had to watch my back for years.

It was no way to live.

So why did Marcus need me again? After the last time I "consulted" for him, I told him I could no longer play the game. Yet, he pulled me back into his life once more.

Another elevator led me to his penthouse suite; ten times more elaborate than my own but none of the gaudy opulence of a certain tower. He awaited me when I stepped out onto his sanctuary instead of his offices, as I had hoped. Did it mean he brought me there for a more personal matter?

The idea terrified me. The slightest hint of insecurity on my part combined with a broken heart often led me to do stupid things, like taking Paul back after my engagement to Marcus ended. Edward might not have shattered my heart by seeing me as nothing but a fuck buddy, but it still felt like a knife.

What if Marcus asked me to marry him again?

"Marcus." I laughed as he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up and spinning us around.

He always loved to sweep me off my feet, literally and figuratively. "My lovely Isabella," he murmured, his warm breath hot along my shoulder. "Your freckles are still as sexy as I remember. I missed you."

I barely suppressed a shiver, his lips lingering on my skin. "Marcus." He always felt like coming home, for some reason, warm and welcome.

Until now.

I refused to believe it had to do with a certain beast.

He set me down to take a good look at me, his perusal lingered in all the usual places. _Men._

"Red always looked incredible on you, but you in this dress is breathtaking, _Isabella."_ He lifted my hand to his lips, his intense, dark eyes full of longing and desire. His black hair, a touch too long, looked incredibly soft; his smooth, tan skin appeared inviting, and he'd taken my advice and grown some facial hair.

Very sexy.

I couldn't suppress a shiver, which of course, made him smile. I shook my head. Marcus could charm anyone; with his Italian accent, he could bed the holiest of nuns.

"The dress is beautiful, thank you." A floor length dress seemed too fancy for breakfast; add in how it dipped low in the front and a delicate lace panel in the back made it more extravagant. "You really shouldn't have, Marcus."

He smirked, flashing a set of pearly whites. "I couldn't resist. The moment I saw it, I knew it belonged on you."

I cocked an eyebrow because we both knew he wasn't finished.

His tongue swept along his full lips. "And on the floor."

I threw my head back and laughed. "You will not be charming me out of my dress today, _my friend._ "

Not a hint of a grimace at the label, he'd learned a few things since I saw him last. He used to wear his emotions on his sleeves, but only around me. I'd warned him he had to hold back in his line of business. "I see. Does this have to do with the _gentleman_ who joined you?"

I detected the hint of jealousy in his voice, but he kept it from surfacing to his expression. We had more than one break up because of his possessiveness. A little of it in a man, I didn't mind, the constant, in your face kind, I loathed.

"No, he's a friend of my brother's and is only here to ensure my safety for his sake."

Marcus's features tightened for an instant, meaning he couldn't get a good read on me. Good. "Perhaps I should invite him to join us if you feel the need to be protected _from me_."

"I don't need a protector. Why do you think he's not here?"

Marcus seemed somewhat pleased with the answer, taking my hand and pulling me into his lion's den.

Normally, that wouldn't bother me. I answered to no one, and sex with Marcus had always been adventurous and passionate. Despite the fact that this thing with Edward would undoubtedly end once we left Vegas, I didn't feel right following him. I'd only be trading one fuck buddy for another because Marcus and I could never have a future together.

"Marcus, maybe it would be best if we get down to business." I allowed him to push in my chair as I sat down, enjoying the delicious aroma's coming from the domed lids on the exquisite table. "I must return tonight."

His lips thinned, but they soon slid into a mischievous smile, and he stroked his chin. "Not until tonight, you say? I can work with that."

Oh, I knew how he worked. "Let me rephrase. I must leave as soon as possible."

"If Mr. Cullen is simply a friend, does this mean you have someone waiting for you back home?"

It didn't shock me that he already had information on Edward. He thrived on information and often used it to get what he wanted.

I sighed; once again, the topic derailed from the real reason I was there: Paul. "My brother will be returning in a month's time." Taking a moment to gather some control and figure out how best to approach the subject matter at hand, I sipped on a mimosa, enjoying the taste as it lingered on my tongue. "Why did you allow Paul to amass so much debt?"

His disdain for Paul sparked a fire in his eyes. "Must we taint this delicious meal with such distasteful people?"

"I am here for Paul."

Marcus glared, allowing his usually controlled mask to fall. I knew I had hurt him when I broke off our engagement, but his anger had grown since then. "He doesn't deserve your loyalty."

"I'm not loyal to a lying, piece of shit. I am, however, the reason you allowed him to accrue over two hundred thousand dollars' worth of gambling debt. You chose to play this game; you knew I would never allow his talent to go to waste. He could save hundreds of lives with his skills as a surgeon."

He sipped on a glass of water, watching me all the while. "You're right. I knew the only way you'd come to me willingly was if I used someone you knew against you."

"That is the definition of the game you set when we met. Now, tell me why I'm really here. I'll pay the damn money if it's something I'm unwilling to do."

"I won't take a dime from you for that bastard." Marcus dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "The fact that you're here means his debt is forgiven, but please inform him if he steps into my city again, he'll never pick up another scalpel. In fact, stay away from him. My men will inform him after I pay for his bail, and that means he's to stay away from you as well. The deal is off if he steps out of line." His fist thumped on the table, sending utensils flying. "No. Fucking. Exceptions."

I nodded.

"Send him to John's rehab center in Chicago. They'll be waiting for him." I had already planned for his stay there for the next couple of months.

Marcus returned his attention to his breakfast, after agreeing to my terms. We ate in a tense silence that felt normal for once. His glances on occasion became increasingly hostile.

"Your cover-up on your neck is starting to rub off."

My hand, having already been on my neck, tightened around the hickey Edward gave me. When I got ready earlier and had seen it, for a moment I found the mark sexy as fuck, but then I thought "what a fucking asshole." Why would Edward mark me as if I were his? To let anyone interested know I was taken? He had made it clear he wanted nothing more than to fuck.

"Marcus."

His features softened. "Do you love him?"

"No, but I could if he let…" I shook my head, having to look away. Again, all I did was hurt the man I knew loved me enough to go against his family.

"Let me guess, he only wants you for your beautiful body." He pointed to my neck and scowled when I nodded. "You deserve so much more. Why would you do that to yourself?"

"To feel something!" I tossed my napkin on my plate and rose to my feet. Energy pulsed through me, and the need to move consumed me. I started to pace. "Every man I've ever met wants nothing from me but for me to warm their beds. Some find out I can't have children and the next thing I know they're back with their exes or onto the next conquest!"

"Not every man," Marcus said, standing up and reaching for me. "I don't give a shit about that."

I pulled away and put distance between us. "You know your family will never allow us any peace. They need you to have an heir. Your mother would make my life a living hell, and she'd make sure I would never feel welcome."

"My mother would get over it! She would never do something like that to someone I love."

"She made it quite clear when she came to see me the night after we announced our engagement to your family." I gasped and covered my mouth, considering I kept the visits from his parents a secret.

Marcus looked stunned, but he deserved some truths.

"She beat your father to it by a whole hour. He tried to pay me off to send me away." I hated breaking Marcus's heart; his family meant so much to him.

"What did you tell them?" He rubbed a hand over his mouth in disbelief, the other raising to tug at his hair. It was rare to see him so distraught, always in control of his emotions. He had to be in his type of business.

He didn't ask if I had taken the money—he knew me too well.

"I told them both to fuck off, and having the forethought that your father would threaten me, I recorded the conversation and sent it to a friend as a precaution."

"He threatened you!" Marcus pulled out his cell phone from his coat pocket.

"Then I started thinking…" The grave whisper stopped him. "Could I really live with another mother hating me? She will never accept me and she'll make damn sure no one else will."

"I can talk to my parents, Isabella. They want me to be happy."

"As long as it's not with me!" I waved my arms around. "You're forgetting about one other thing, Marcus. I do not trust you. If you cheat, it's a pat on the back from the guys, some disgust from the women that eventually would fade. Me, if I even look at another man, I'm _dead_."

"You and I both know you would never do that to me!" A passionately angry Marcus was glorious to behold. He thumped his chest hard three times, as he loosened his tie, heading toward dangerous territory. The two of us in a room alone, with clothes coming off, wouldn't end well. "I would never do that to you."

"Bullshit, you cheated on Gianna." I smiled triumphantly when he winced. "You will say anything to get what you want. I can't live here, Marcus. Las Vegas is good for a few nights, maybe even in a week, but it would drain the life from me. I am not a city girl. I can go on and on, name reason after reason, but it won't change the fact that we will not be good together."

He grabbed something off the table, throwing it against the nearest wall. It shattered into thousands of pieces as he cursed in Italian, tormented by the truths I delivered.

"Sir," a voice from the entrance caused us both to spin toward it. Alec stood, tall and lean, but disheveled, a bruise forming along his jawline and right eye.

 _Edward._

"Ms. Swan's guest is proving difficult to keep in his room. He is demanding to see Isabella."

"Toss him in a cell if you have to."

Alec's dark blue eyes shot toward me. "I promised her that I would not harm him."

I felt the glare from Marcus burn a hole through the side of my head. Without looking at him, I replied to Alec, "Have him pack our bags; we're leaving shortly."

Alec looked at his boss, who nodded, and he was gone. Once again, leaving me alone with Marcus.

"I wish you would take some time to reconsider my proposal, my love."

My eyes grew hot as tears threatened to spill. "I've thought of nothing else since I left, Marcus."

His warm fingers danced along my bare arm, his thumb tapping under my chin to have me look up at him. He seemed taller than I remembered, devastatingly handsome.

"If anyone can stand up to my family, it is you, Isabella. Can't you see that?"

"I can stand up to them, shield myself from their hatred, but every bad word, every rumor to tarnish my name, every time they're quick to remind us of what we can't have will chip away at my armor until there is nothing left of me. I can only be so strong, on top of all that is what you do, Marcus. How can I marry a mafia prince when my father and his father before him were in law enforcement? My own brother is returning to take a position as Chief of Police."

"Just as family means everything to me, it's the same for you. I will always love you, Isabella." He bent to brush my lips with his, but I turned at the last second to avoid them.

I couldn't kiss him when I could still feel the burn of Edward's beard between my thighs and along my neck. It wasn't fair to either of them or me.

"I will take you down to your _friend._ "

I nodded, grabbing my clutch and another sip from my mimosa. Some liquid courage never hurt, considering I was about to meet up with the beast.

.

.

.

* * *

 **Edward**

I never packed two bags so fucking fast in my life. If I hadn't heard Bella's answer to do so, I wouldn't have believed Alec. The fucking asshole had a steel jaw, and at least two of my knuckles are paying for those punches I managed to land when I stormed into the security office earlier. My own jaw hurt too, but that was the least of my problems.

The guys back home found out about Paul and that I was in Vegas, Sin City, with Bella. Tyler had repeatedly threatened to fly down at least a dozen times during the short conversation with _all_ of them. They were pissed and ready to kick Bella's ex's ass, and mine too. Not only had I kept something vitality important about Bella's safety from them, but they'd figured out we were fucking.

Apparently, all the guys had made an agreement with Emmett to keep her out of Vegas at all costs because of this Marcus asshole. Yet, I couldn't worry about that right now, the only concern I had was for Bella. Something didn't feel right about the partial conversation Alec allowed me to listen to when he had a word with his boss. Upset didn't seem to describe what I heard in Bella's voice. Marcus sounded angry and the idea that she was alone with him didn't sit well with me.

I sat down in one of the chairs, staring at the bed I last had a taste of Bella in and wanted to wrap it up and take it home with me. The pillows still smelled like her. Shit like that should be sending warning signs, bells, and alarms. The kind that usually sent me running or ending a relationship.

Worse, I didn't hear one fucking chime.

A knock on the door had me on my feet, Alec returning with a grim smile. Either things didn't go well for his boss or there was something else wrong.

"Can we go now or are we going to have to take some more shots at each other?" The moment I knew Bella had left the suite, I punched the fucker. It wiped the smugness off his damn face.

Alec cocked an eyebrow. "You don't deserve her."

I chuckled. "Do you think I don't know that? Trust me, I do. But if I don't, your boss sure as fuck doesn't."

Alec said nothing, but I didn't miss his slight nod. He gestured toward the main area of the suite and dismissed the security guards who had been at the door since Bella left in the morning. The two assholes that ran into the suite when Alec and I fought were gone. Their replacements followed us up to the main security office, a central hub of sorts. At least a hundred screens were along three walls, several people watching them, programs constantly running facial recognition on various people coming into the hotel.

A glass elevator across the entire floor started to descend from what I guessed was the penthouse suite, and I froze when I caught sight of Bella in an amazing red dress, standing beside a tall, dark man, his arm around her waist, while her head rested on his shoulder.

The smug look on his face as our gazes met needed to be erased immediately and preferably by my fists. Oblivious to our glares, Bella's eyes closed; a soft look of sadness on her face that even Marcus noticed.

The look made that asshole's smirk disappear in an instant. One thing was clear: he loved her.

I stood in front of the elevator as it finally reached our floor, Bella startling when she saw me as the doors swooshed them. "What happened to your pretty face!" She glared at Alec who appeared shame-faced. "I thought you didn't harm him."

 _Aw, she did care._

"His jaw is as hard as his head, Ms. Swan. I assure you; it didn't hurt him." Alec smiled, giving me a short look. "Ask him yourself."

I ran my hand over my chin. "Didn't feel a thing."

Marcus cleared his throat. "Isabella, I'd like to thank you for joining me—"

I snorted. "You mean forcing her to come to save a piece of shit from the likes of you."

He ignored me. Nothing pissed me off more than some asshole pretending I didn't exist.

The fucker pulled out all the stops and lifted her delicate hand in his, kissing the tips of her fingers. Looking too similar to how I sucked whipped cream off the night before.

"I had hoped to change your mind, _my Isabella_."

 _My Isabella?_

"I can't give you what you want, Marcus." She kissed his cheek and turned toward me, taking a few steps in my direction. Escape seemed to be the one thing she wanted desperately and I was more than willing to help her do it.

Marcus had to make one more attempt, desperate to keep her. "I know about C-Genics."

Several things happened at once: Alec, who remained beside me, uttered a soft "fuck," Bella looked about ready to throw up and collapse, and Marcus winced.

What the fuck was C-Genics? Was it the company that bought Bella's revolutionary medical device patent?

Marcus took a couple of steps toward her, but I was there to come between them and pulled her beside me.

"You can have children. _We_ can, Isabella," he pleaded.

She couldn't look at him and kept her eyes on me. "Just don't, please."

 _She's on the verge of tears; get her out of here._

I had a good idea of what C-Genics meant. Fucking hell, I couldn't believe he'd go there.

"Please, Isabella. You know I love you. I can give you the world. We can still have an heir, a family."

Alec decided to step in to stop Marcus from advancing toward us as I led Bella away, whispering something to him. It seemed to fall on deaf ears since Marcus refused to listen to reason.

"Please, Isabella, you know he'd be beautiful."

Even I felt the knife he twisted in her heart with his words. "Shut the fuck up already!" I quickened our pace.

"Your family will never accept a child from a surrogate as ours and you know it." Instead of crippling grief, Bella seethed as she spun around to face Marcus. "You invaded my privacy; not even my brother knows about that. How dare you?" Tears ran down her cheeks, angrily wiped away by her shaking hands. "Stay away from me."

She ran down the corridor, a security guard following her.

When it appeared that Marcus was not done, advancing once again, I placed both hands on his chest and pushed him back. "You heard her, asshole, stay away."

A couple of guards headed toward me, but Alec shook his head, stopping them.

"I think you've done enough, Marcus." I stepped back, my chest heaving in anger.

"Take care of her," was the last thing I heard from Marcus as I ran after Bella. I wasn't sure if I could provide her any comfort since Marcus wasn't the only one hurting her, but I sure as hell was going to try.


	8. The Past Belongs in the Past

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Eight – The Past Belongs in the Past**

* * *

I cursed as the agent at the ticket counter, who looked bored from the moment I stepped in line, perked up once she saw we hired a private flight. No doubt courtesy of Marcus, asshole-extraordinaire. Instead of refusing the noticeable flamboyant upgrade, I decided if it got us out of Vegas sooner, the better. Since the limo had left Marcus's casino, Bella had yet to utter a word.

It scared the fuck out of me. Tears were most men's kryptonite, and Bella would not be an exception to the rule. Any sign of the ones she had angrily wiped away when she stood up to Marcus were dried and gone. If anything, she seemed detached, not present, a state worse than the tears, in my opinion.

"Our flight should be ready in about thirty minutes, and we're free to have a few drinks in the lounge if you'd like." I held out my hand, and she looked at it as if it had the plague, not that I blamed her.

She had been riding an asshole rollercoaster since she arrived back home, I realized with a startling, eye-opening clarity. Back-to-back loops, twists, and turns, giving her whiplash of the worst kind. Me with my commitment phobia, Paul breaking the restraining order and owing a shitload of money to someone from Bella's past; the same asshole who had hurt her so much she could barely walk.

She nodded and held onto the tips of my fingers to rise from the hard-plastic chairs of the airport, her skin cold and clammy, nothing like they should feel. Before I could stupidly question if she was all right, a man sent to help us with our bags informed us of our flight and that we could wait in the first-class lounge, pointing us in the right direction.

I helped Bella take a seat in a plush chair and decided to order her something to take the edge off whatever cliff she stood on, in fucking high heels from the look of her. Ordering our drinks, I watched her from the corner of my eye. I felt so out of my element. Pulling out my phone, I went against my better judgment and looked up C-Genics, remembering Marcus had mentioned it during the encounter with Bella.

It turned out to be a company that froze sperm, ovum, and embryos, one that had for over twenty years. State of the art, expensive, and cutting-edge technology. Maybe Marcus had found out she had some of her eggs frozen, which had to be what he meant when he said they could still have a family.

"Next time just ask," Bella hissed in my ear suddenly, biting the lobe and bumping my shoulder.

My cock stirred, the edge of her teeth hanging on to my ear, ready to dish out another punishing bite. "I didn't think you'd answer any questions."

She, unfortunately, let go of me and shrugged. "I've been an open book since we met."

I cocked an eyebrow.

"What? Other than when I tried to avoid you joining me here, I've been forthcoming."

Maybe a bit too forthcoming, being open led to getting hurt. "You were just a kid when you had your accident, how is it possible?"

"My ovaries were intact; I had two years to get any viable eggs before the risks involved would affect the ovum." She grabbed her drink and walked away as if she hadn't informed me of life-changing information.

 _As if it's going to change, how_ _ **you**_ _feel about her?_

She wanted someone to want _her_ no matter what. Marcus proved to her the moment he found out that they could have a child and his insistence on it, that she wasn't enough in his eyes. He needed an heir, and though he loved Bella in his way, she would only be good enough if she could give him a child.

If I even mentioned taking a chance and seeing where this thing between us could go, she'd kick me in the balls again. The timing was way off, not that I wanted to take a chance. Commitment phobia, remember?

 _Whom are you trying to convince?_

I joined her and watched as she drank deeply from her fruity cocktail. She liked her drinks sweet, hated the taste of alcohol, which I learned before the guys had shown up to barbeque that first day.

The first day I had a taste of her, and now that we were leaving Vegas, I already had my last one. A fucking crying shame, if you asked me.

"Why are you so afraid of relationships?"

Her question didn't shock me; I knew it was coming. I could deny it, but she'd see right through it. Why bother? I did it anyway.

"Who said I was afraid?" I looked away, unable to take what I could describe as pity in her eyes. "I had one girlfriend in high school that ended in disaster." I gestured toward my cock, and she seemed to understand, wincing in sympathy. "I dated a bit in college, but was too chickenshit for a while, but I got over it and had fun for a year or two."

She made a face that made me laugh.

"I wasn't that bad, as you know. I had to be choosy about who warmed my bed." I shrugged, making no apologies for my past. "Small girls were off limits; they couldn't handle me." My traitorous body remembered Bella's curves and how well she took my cock, rising to the occasion. "Then some were fucking crazy, already seeing us walking down the aisle after a few dates. One in particular…after the breakup, it wasn't pretty."

I shook away those thoughts, having no desire to discuss that bullshit. Best to change the subject, I moved on, open for once in a long time.

My brow tightened as I thought of my ex-wife. "I met my ex-wife, Heidi, my senior year of college; she graduated a couple of years before me. She was hot, you know? Still led around by my dick."

I felt disgusted at how blind I had been about her. Greedy and insistent I had to do something more with my life than blue-collar work. At first, I listened and worked quickly through the ranks at a development company in the city after I graduated from college. I practically ran the crews without working my ass in the baking sun or misty rain and wore suits rather than jeans and work shirts.

She loved the money I made, and turned into a real witch when everything changed, and my grandfather had a stroke. The anti-family company I worked for didn't understand and made fake claims of misconduct to fire me. At the time, I didn't even attempt to give them hell and sue them for wrongful termination; my only concern was for my grandfather who wasn't my blood relative but loved me like one. I helped take care of him for months until he finally passed in his sleep.

I told Bella all of that, not skimping on the details because I wanted her to understand. Though I had a loving family, it was in my blood to be like my father. I'd leave her; break her heart as my mother had been until she had met Carlisle.

"She ran away with about a hundred thousand dollars and some prick from the clinic where she worked part-time."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Good fucking riddance to the bitch. But what happened with the money and her disappearance?"

I shrugged. "Heidi called from Atlanta months later, shit-faced and abandoned by the prick, and out of money. Instead of helping her, she was arrested within the hour, and she's still serving her six-year sentence."

"Wow, glad justice prevailed. What happened after?"

Again, I had to look away as I thought about my last disastrous attempt at a relationship. "Irina lives about two counties over, figured out it was best not to fuck where I live."

Bella pretended to gag, once again rolling her eyes. Her teeth tortured her bottom lip for a second. "Now, I see you have a point."

Ouch. That fucking hurt. She was right, though, because we'd bump into each other in town and I'd see her move on eventually. She'd warm someone's bed, and he'd love her, as I couldn't. Right?

"Anyway, she wasn't super crazy like Heidi, but clingy. She wanted to do something every fucking weekend. I'm working outdoors for hours; I'm exhausted by Wednesday, but I get through it. The last thing I want to do is fly down to California for some surfing, or to Texas for some real barbeque."

"Did she expect you pay for these trips too?"

"We didn't always go, but yeah." Heaving a sigh, I ran my hand through my hair, uneasy about the conversation. "I stupidly said we should flip a house together. Worst experience ever. By the end of the project, I was ten thousand in the hole, and we ended it."

She started to laugh, so much better than the bleak look in her eyes earlier. "You are an idiot. Oh my God."

"I'm so glad my suffering is a source of entertainment."

She sighed but stood when someone came over to escort us to our flight. After settling in the extravagant plane that was in the air within fifteen minutes, she sat across from me, looking unsure again, but curious too.

I cocked an eyebrow, a habit I picked up from her. "What is it?"

"Sounds like you self-sabotaged before the relationships even started."

I sat up straighter, crossing my arms over my chest. "Oh, let the psychobabble begin. Let me hear it."

"Not if you're going to be an asshole about it, jeez." She looked away, grabbing her Kindle and settled into her reading.

I did my best to ignore her, ordering a drink and something to eat. It was too bad she pissed me off; we could've gotten off midflight and in Marcus's plane also. It would've been so fucking sweet. Maybe I could convince her still—angry fucking sounded damn good after the hellish morning. I had to adjust myself as my imagination kept the images running.

"Jesus, Edward, put that thing away." Bella stood and started for the bathroom, dropping her Kindle in the seat beside mine.

"Fuck you."

She looked over her shoulder, licking her lips. "You wish."

I swooped up her Kindle but nearly growled when it already locked. After a couple of attempts of hacking it, she snatched it out of my hand.

"Nosey, asshole." She grunted as she landed on a loveseat, displaying her long legs in the tights she changed into earlier. "Hands off, Edward. You couldn't handle my kinky books."

The slight huskiness to her voice appealed to me, stirring my cock again. "Sure, you're probably reading some boring ass, non-fiction book about a doctor or something along those lines."

Then Bella did the unthinkable, something I could never have prepared myself for: she started to read out loud.

" _You were saying?"_

" _It's been a while." Her cheek rested against his, her words a tease on his neck. "Now fuck the words right out of me."_

" _Fuck." His forehead fell to her shoulder, his gaze dropping to the sight of his cock slipping in and out of her. As her lips and whispered words continued to torture him, he kept a steady pace. His tongue caressed the corner of her lips. "Is it working?"_

 _She moaned._ _"I can still talk."_

" _Fucking kidding me." He stopped, making her scream her displeasure. "You want it harder?"_

" _I said fuck the words—"_

I coughed out a stuttered, "Excuse me," and walked to the bathroom. It was bigger than I expected. I washed my face with cool water, hoping like hell that it would get me to calm the fuck down. Splotchy redness covered my cheeks. "What the fuck is she doing to me?" It took picturing my construction crew working naked to will down my dick.

I rejoined Bella, hating the little smirk on her face. The urge to pull her onto my lap and kiss it off angered me, so there was only one thing I could do to stop myself from trying something so stupid.

"Explain how you think I self-sabotaged my relationships." I closed my eyes and rested the back of my head on the chair beside Bella.

"Are you sure you're ready for it?" Her whispered voice made me look, and again, the lack of confidence pissed me off. Had the combination of Paul, Marcus, and me fucked with her head? It wouldn't surprise me.

"Don't pussy out now, _Baby Bella._ " That did it if her huff of irritation was any indication.

"Fine, from your descriptions of your exes, you purposely went after a type. Why is that?"

"I don't know, they approached me, and I didn't say no." I wasn't an angel, but they knew what it was going to be like because I had told them.

"Both of them?"

Hesitant, I answered, "Yes."

"All those crazy ones, though—what were they like?"

Why did she have to mention them? "Pretty much the same, why?"

"You purposely went after girls, women that you knew wouldn't want too much from you."

"That's not true because I tried to make it work with Heidi and Irina."

She sighed. "Maybe, but you'd think you'd learn your lesson about women after your money after Heidi, yet Irina still happened."

"I went out with others who weren't blonde before either of them, and in between, too. And I have learned my lesson." I pointed at her since she had dark hair and was shorter than the others were.

"You don't want a relationship with me." She waved her hand dismissively. "And why were the others 'crazy' by your description, other than hearing wedding bells?" She didn't seem to like the term crazy, and yeah, mental illness wasn't a topic to joke about, ever. "Must've been your magic cock because you're not a nice guy."

"What can I say?" I gave her a cocky wink and cupped myself when she tried to swat me. "They were clingy, and…" Why was I talking about that shit?

"And?"

"There was one girl I liked before I hooked up with Heidi, but she had issues."

Bella shifted onto her side, propping up her head and watching me with that penetrating gaze of hers that made me think she could see right through me.

"I caught her taking something to help her study." I cleared my throat, hating the memories assaulting me. "I refused to listen to her reasons, but between that and the constant stress she seemed to be in, I thought breaking up would be for the best." I didn't say anything else until she climbed into the chair on my right, folding her legs under her ass and facing me. I looked her in the eyes, and came out and said what I'd been avoiding for years. "She committed suicide weeks later—the pressure of school and supposedly us drove her to _use_ more and more…"

"Edward." Her hand on my arm looked foreign on me, as if she shouldn't be touching me. I shook her off. "Hey, I'm sorry for pushing."

"What was I supposed to do? Stay with her? My father was an asshole, did drugs too under my mother's nose before he left us. I didn't want to be dragged into that kind of relationship, not after what happened to my mom."

"I understand." She smiled softly. "It wasn't your fault. You were what, twenty maybe when it happened?"

"Nineteen." I dared to look at her, and instead of the pity I was expecting, all I saw was concern for me. "This is why I went after a certain type, isn't it?"

I didn't need her to answer, because I already knew. My hands ran over my face hard, and I laughed, though it sounded far from light or fun. "Knowing this doesn't change how I feel about relationships, Bella."

"I know."

I dropped her off at home a couple of hours later, promising her one last thing. "I promise it'll be as though we're nothing more than friends."

"It's that damn easy for you, isn't it?" The watery eyes did me in, but I couldn't give her what she wanted.

Yes, maybe never.

"It has to be." I drove off before I did something I might _actually_ want for once.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks to MC for her help with the chapter, any mistakes are my own, I tinkered as usual, lol.**

 **How do you think the whole pretend like they're nothing more than friends is going to go? Trying to get as much writing done before holiday madness starts up soon. Band competitions, school concerts, family gatherings and and and... Hope to get Crosshairs, Perpetual Existence, and various other things up this month. *crosses fingers***


	9. The Spanish Inquisition

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Nine—The Spanish Inquisition**

* * *

If I had known that Bella's adopted brothers, aka my friends, would be waiting for me at home when I arrived from Las Vegas, I would've kept on driving. Sure, I would've paid for it later, but in the end, it would've saved me a great deal of trouble and the migraine. However, I was also itching for a fight or something. Anything to distract me from the look Bella had in her eyes when we left that damn casino. For it to get worse when I confirmed it was over between us.

Every time I closed my eyes for a second, I saw her face.

She had come to believe she'd never find someone to spend her life with; she didn't have to say it. It had been in her eyes she'd given up. I'd hardly helped matters, but what other choice did I have? Tell her I was willing to try, but deep down, I'd know I'd fuck it up. And it would happen when we're both in so fucking deep that it felt like something was clawing out of our chests when it was over.

I rubbed a hand over my heart and shook away that morbid thought, then hopped out of my truck to face the firing squad that had loved Bella since she was a child. They loved her first, other than Emmett, of course, and their father. What I wouldn't give to have been there when they all met her; maybe then, I'd see her the same way they did.

 _Then you would've never known she tastes so sweet._

"Come and get it, boys!" I raised my hands from my sides; their hard glares burning holes into me from all angles. "Go ahead! Tell me I'm a fuck up. Go on. Tell me that I just let go the best thing that ever happened to me. Let me hear how much it'll kill me to see another asshole touch her and have the right to call her his."

My vision started to turn red, my blood boiling.

I only noticed then that their postures weren't defensive as I approached the front of my truck.

"Come on! What are you waiting for? Bring it." Jasper's ice blue eyes seemed colder than usual when I leaned closer and I pointed at my chin. "Plant one on me; I'll give you a freebie."

Jasper grunted in irritation. "You probably fucking deserve one, but I'm not going to hit you."

"I don't know; he looks like he wants us to kick his ass." Eric closed in on our position, watching me in that way of his that indicated he was trying to figure you out. It was unnerving and annoying.

"Fucker needs some punishment, but sounds like he's doing a pretty damn good job on his own." Tyler clasped my shoulder, but instead of forcing me to face him as I expected, he simply patted my shoulder. "Relax; I'm not going to hit you." Over my head, he looked at Jasper. "I'm heading to Bella's to get everything ready for a Pick Me Up or Breakup Special."

I nearly growled but hissed through my teeth. "We were never together."

"Technically, I wasn't talking about you, but Marcus." Just hearing that asshole's name made my blood burn hotter, wanting to hit something. I advanced toward Tyler, who held up his hands and backed up. "You were _never_ together; whatever you say, man. Whatever you say." He gave me one, hard look and shook his head, turning his attention on Eric and Jasper. "I'll take the ice cream and chocolate; you guys grab the rest. Fill me in on what he says about Vegas later." He faced me again, his dark eyes narrowing. "You stay the fuck away for a while, you hear me? She'll call or text when _she's_ ready."

Any fight I had left in me died at the weight of his stare, and I nodded. "What's a 'Pick Me Up Special'?" I had to ask, though I wanted to deny it.

Tyler offered me his trademark "wouldn't you like to know" smile. "I don't think you're ever gonna earn the right to know that now." He shrugged, unapologetic, and said goodbye to the others one last time.

Eric sighed. "I really hope we can avoid one of her manic math episodes."

Jasper cursed and ran a hand through his hair. "The last time hadn't been pretty."

"What the fuck are you guys talking about?"

Jasper glared at me. "What do you care?" He shut down my protest and got down to why they had really come to see me. "Tell us what happened in Vegas."

I smirked, all cocky and shit. "Haven't you heard what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?"

Jasper grabbed me by the front of my shirt and shoved me against my truck. The asshole packed some serious strength in those heavily tattooed arms. "Look, fucker. You get one pass because it's obvious you're regretting even tangling with her. I don't want to know about you _fucking_ Bella—"

I swung, missed his jaw my mere centimeters, but I kept on coming. "You don't get to talk about her like that!" I pushed him away hard and growled. "Do not say shit like that about her."

Eric stood between us, stopping us from hitting each other.

Jasper spoke up first. "What did you think you were doing with Bella, huh?" That shit was in my face. "Making love to her? If that were the case, you wouldn't be _here_ ; you'd be with her. You. Fucked. Her. That's it; that's all."

 _Not that last time._

"Stop fucking talking about her like that. Just shut up!" I stomped toward my house, opening the front door. My attempt to slam the door behind me was prevented by Jasper's size thirteen steel-toe boots. "What the fuck do you want from me?"

"Answers, Edward. We need to be prepared for whatever happened up there. She won't tell us, especially if she's hurting. Plus, Marcus sometimes pops up a few days later after one of their breakups."

"That fucker better not come near her after what he did." I winced and cursed under my breath. Bella didn't want anyone to know about C-Genics. Fuck, I had to lie for her. "I don't know specifics because she snuck out of the hotel room to see him. I only know that Paul's debt has been eliminated. Marcus asked her to marry him again, but she told him no because nothing had changed." I tugged on my hair and made way to my kitchen, opening the fridge for a moment of peace and to get a beer.

Eric snatched the bottle out of my hand and tossed it in the sink where it shattered. "That is not the answer, my friend."

 _It sounds like the answer to me_ , I thought as I rubbed my chest. "Fine, I'll wait until it's five, asshole." It was only four hours away.

Jasper and Eric shared a look, a private exchange I couldn't decipher. "We'll take his keys." Eric moved quick as fucking lightning, and somehow had my keys before I could say or do anything.

I made a grab for them, but Eric put them down the front of his pants. They couldn't leave me alone with my thoughts; a mindless drive would've helped.

"When she left Vegas, was she upset or pissed?" Jasper asked, ignoring my protests about my truck keys.

"She was crying." I hoped that wasn't something she would mind me sharing. It wasn't something I could avoid anyway, not if they could offer her comfort. "I had to carry her out of the casino."

They cursed. Eric had his phone in his hand, heading out the door without another word. Jasper didn't give me much of chance to ask why that made a difference as he followed Eric.

"What's wrong?"

Jasper exhaled loudly and rubbed his mouth as if he was unsure about answering my question. "It probably means that Marcus is right behind her." He left before I could offer any sort of reply.

 _What the fuck?_ That fucker had better not step into the same state as us.

In the sudden shift of moods after telling them how Bella seemed to feel when we left Vegas, the guys forgot about my spare truck key in the junk drawer. I needed to get out of the house. Bella might not have ever stepped inside of it, but she seemed to be everywhere.

I found my extra keys quickly and grabbed my cell phone to give my Beauty a heads up at least. _She isn't your Beauty anymore; remember?_ Fuck that. In my head and dreams she would be. That was all I'd allow myself.

E: _Just a heads up, the guys are on their way to you._

B: _Thanks for the warning, now lose my number._

Everything in me wanted to respond with a reminder that her house still needed work. And then my phone buzzed from an incoming text.

B: _Please._

I couldn't help imagining those pretty, big brown eyes of hers and saying that damn word in a soft whisper. I rubbed at my chest, trying to decide what to do. How could I go against her request now? I groaned and tossed my phone on the counter, tugging on my hair. Desperate for a distraction, I headed to my bedroom for a shower. We left in such a hurry that I didn't get a chance to take one. As I lifted my shirt over my head, I caught the scent of Bella's light perfume, an instantly my body reacted. My mind transported to the amazing night we'd shared in that hotel room.

 _Fuck!_

I backtracked, not ready to lose what little I had of her yet, and headed toward my unfinished office. It was my thing to find fixer-uppers, and that included the four duplexes I bought. The one I lived in at the moment was the last, the rest were rented out to some locals. In another few months, the work would be complete, and I'd be on the hunt for another renovation. Another move.

Another way to keep me occupied during the long nights.

I sat down at the desk and pretended the only thing that existed was my work. Schedules and payments had to be made, a quick trip to the bank for a deposit, and my email inbox needed clearing. Anything to keep me busy.

.

.

.

* * *

Deposit bag in hand, I left my place two hours later. Driving through our small town on the way to the bank, I wondered if it was time to move on, another city. Our construction company served over six counties in the area, expanding more and more as my guys became licensed in other areas besides general construction. We could make a go of it in any county within a hundred miles and still make good money. Was it fair to force everyone to either move or walk away from the company because I was a fucking chicken shit?

No, probably not.

I was so fucked. It took considerable strength not to turn around and go back to Bella's to check on her. She was in good hands—her "brothers" there to offer her plenty of support. She didn't need me.

I parked next to a sleek Audi and recognized the out-of-state license plate in front of the bank. My truck door slammed so hard that the man at the ATM swirled around as if expecting danger. There stood one of the last people I wanted to see. I was on him in a flash, pushing him up against the wall, ignoring the gun I felt against his hip, and no, he wasn't happy to fucking see me.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Alec?" I pushed him a little harder when he only smirked in response. "Is that asshole in the back of the car? Tell me he is, please. I didn't get a chance to tell him goodbye and to go fuck himself."

His arms came up between mine and he widened them to force me to drop my own; his hands coming up immediately and pushing me back a couple of steps. "I'm alone; I wouldn't let him come."

I shook my head. "Do you honestly think I believe you have any control over that asshole?"

He straightened his pristine suit jacket and returned his attention to the ATM, removing the cash there. "Believe whatever you want to believe, but I did tell him I would quit if he stepped into the state of Washington."

From the look on his face, he appeared serious, but then again, Vegas was his home, and his poker face had to be strong.

"Then why are you here?"

He smirked as he removed his bankcard and slid his cash in his wallet. "It's none of your business."

I stepped closer. "She's my best friend's little sister; I guarantee you, it's my business."

"Then what are you doing here?" He waved his hands around. "Shouldn't you be with her? I know how Bella works; I've been through this shit with her. I kept telling her for years to stop coming to see him. They can't quit each other…" He looked away for a moment. "Until now, it seems."

"Why? Because your boss invaded her fucking privacy and used her biggest insecurity against her?"

"He did do that, and now he'll pay for it by losing her forever. Be fucking grateful for that." He walked past me and toward the fancy car. "Why _I'm_ here is not any of your business. If you value your balls, I'd step the fuck back. I'll have Emmett Swan on the phone before you can say another word. I bet he'd love to know that you were fucking his sister while in Vegas."

I smashed a fist on the hood of his car, leaving a sizable dent, but he didn't bat a fucking eyelash. He only shrugged and got behind the wheel—likely because he could afford to fix it or even get another five more of those cars. He was gone, and I groaned, realizing the bank had closed on me during our encounter.

I grabbed my ATM card and my cell phone again. Bella's number came up first, and though I wanted to call her, she had asked me to lose her number. I called Tyler instead.

"This better be good, man." Tyler's greeting and gruff voice didn't sound too pleased with my interruption.

"Alec, Marcus's right-hand man, just left the bank and is on his way to see Bella."

"Fuck!"

On the other side of the line, someone asked Tyler, "What _'s_ wrong?" There was no mistaking Bella's soft voice.

"Nothing's wrong, sweetheart. I have to take this call outside." There was a shuffling noise. "Hey! Wait a second."

Bella's bubbly laughter filtered through the line, closer than before. "Is this Becca from Seattle? Tyler has been avoiding my questions for days, but there's a reason he has a smile on his face more often and I'll bet it's because of you."

"Uh, I'm not Becca."

I heard her curse and the sound of her handing off the phone to someone, then a door slamming shortly after.

 _Fuck me! What have I done?_

* * *

 **AN: First, thank you MC for getting this out to me despite your busy schedule. I appreciate all you do for me. Thanks to all the readers for your patience and staying with me despite my inconsistency. Its been so hard to write lately, writer's block is REAL despite what others may say. Please know that I intend to finish this story and the others. I'm considering starting up a Pateron page, but first I need to decide what content I'll be putting up there. Times have been tough for me, but I'm going to keep trying to not let it get in the way of what I love to do and that's write. Thank you, and I wish you and yours Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!**


	10. Friends?

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Ten—Friends?**

* * *

After spending the rest of the day and well into the next morning, I made a quick drive by Bella's house. I had to know if Alec remained in town, and the guys were not talking about what happened after I called Tyler. I knew she hadn't been happy to hear from me so soon.

Somehow, before I even pulled onto her street, I knew she wasn't home. I didn't take the time to understand why the fact upset me, but I called Jasper.

" _I'm working in Woodbury today, or did you forget?"_

I was aware of his schedule, and he was the only one not on top of a roof or scaffolding at the time. "Bella is not home and there's no sign of Alec's car. What's going on?"

Jasper's sigh was a warning I wouldn't like what he was about to tell me. _"She wants you and the rest of us to continue working on repairs and renovations."_

I still had keys to the house. "I'll handle that; don't worry about it. Now cut the shit and tell me where she's at, Jasper. Did she take off with Alec Did she go back to that Axe-smelling fuck?"

" _Damn, Bella's right. You don't think highly of her at all, even after all the stories we told you."_

She wouldn't go back to him, I knew deep down in my gut. I couldn't explain it, but I needed confirmation. "Cut. The. Shit."

" _No, I don't think I will. She's not home. She'll be gone for about a week or two. She will be home in time to do the finish work on the house and Emmett's return."_

Jasper ended the call before I could tell him off for acting like a child.

 _He's not the only one_.

"Fuck me." I drove away from Bella's house determined to go by later and finish the work I promised her brother. It had nothing to do with my Beauty.

 _Yeah, keep telling yourself that, asshole._

.

.

.

* * *

A part of me thought she was running away from the problem, but I also understood the need to escape. My friends were keeping her whereabouts from me, only telling me she was getting some TLC from some friends she knew from Back East.

What bothered me the most was the fact that Alec had also disappeared.

Did she go somewhere with Alec to meet up with Marcus despite what he'd done? I didn't know Bella well enough to be sure, but something told me he lost any chance of reconciliation.

Business continued as usual. As the days passed, the crew and I were up at the crack of dawn and home by four in the afternoon if there wasn't an inspection the following day. It left countless hours to think too much, but I needed to do something. Working on Bella's house was about the only thing I could do to keep myself busy.

She haunted her house, though, because being in _her_ house, where I first had a taste of her seemed like a punishment I earned—at first. She hadn't spent much time there before leaving again, but her scent lingered in the corners of every room. It teased me to follow where it was the most concentrated, in her bedroom. The air mattress I used had disappeared, and in its place was a sleigh bed that dominated the room. The bedding was a deep blue that I had no doubt would complement her skin, and where she'd look incredible all spread out and flushed. Something I'd likely never get to experience.

Torture. It was torture to be in the house. I had a job to do, a promise to her brother I had yet to fulfill. I fucked up any chance of having her in that bed, but I wasn't about to ruin my relationship with one of the first friends I made when I moved to the area.

It had been much too long since she left, and I decided to work in the living room again. Upon Bella's initial homecoming, she had wanted the fireplace to become a focal point instead of the giant flat screen on the adjacent wall. That first day after waking hungover and having breakfast, we worked together on how to achieve it by adding tile all the way up to the ceiling, and beef up the mantel.

One by one, I packed away framed photos on the dusty mantel so I could work on it; much as I had the day that we met. Many of them had a group of boys that ranged in all sizes, laughing or making goofy faces. Often, a tiny Bella would be on someone's shoulders, all smiles and dark curls. There was a face I didn't recognize among her brothers, but a familiar face, too.

 _Alec_. _What the fuck?_

I called Jasper; he was the only one who would give me a hint of what was going on with Bella. Maybe he'd answer a few questions.

" _Yeah?"_ Jasper sounded groggy, which made sense since his new neighbor apparently had a set of twin boys. A few sleepless nights made him a cranky asshole.

"Did you all know Alec _before_ he got mixed up with Marcus?"

I heard his sigh then grumble of the lack of caffeine for this conversation. _"He was their neighbor growing up, and he was only a year older than her. He was her best friend until he confessed he had romantic feelings for her. They had a falling out and he joined the Marines, but was badly injured and discharged. He felt he'd failed and wouldn't come home, no matter how much Bella begged him. He found a place in Vegas, doing security for a hotel, moved up the ranks pretty quickly. One night, he saved Marcus from getting offed, and being a grateful asshole, Marcus hired him on the spot."_

I cursed several times, wondering how I missed their connection. "Bella met Marcus because of Alec, didn't she?"

" _Alec wanted us to come down for her birthday one year, offering VIP treatment for our little sister. We couldn't resist such an invitation. He knew he fucked up the moment Marcus introduced himself and she nearly melted in front of him."_

My hand tightened around my phone, not wanting to picture what he described. She hadn't melted when we first met; she'd scoffed after hearing my awful pick up line I'd given to someone else when she'd given me the cold shoulder at the bar.

 _She melted when you first kissed her, though._

"I find it hard to believe she would end up with Marcus, knowing Alec had feelings for her."

" _Yeah, well, Alec did everything he could to convince her otherwise. Paraded women in front of her, made sure she caught women walking out of his room in the morning, or even answer his phone if she called. She thought he moved on, and he made it clear he was okay with her dating his boss. Not sure if he still had feelings for her then, but now, I think he only wants her to be happy—which is probably why he offered his cabin."_

"What the fuck? What if he tried to make a move on her? She's fucking vulnerable right now. Why would you let him take her away?"

" _First of all, this really isn't your business. The only reason I'm telling you is that you've been unbearable since she left. Second, we didn't let him take her. Tyler went with them and got her settled, and we already checked in with a friend, Alec is back at work in Vegas."_

None of that explained why Alec was at the bank. "He wasn't taking out money to pay off Bella?"

" _We still talk, Edward, so no, the fucker owed me money. He lost a bet on a game last month."_

I exhaled sharply, tugging on my hair. "Can you just tell me she's okay?"

" _Yeah, she'll be fine. By the time she gets back, it'll be like none of that shit between you two ever happened."_

Too bad, I wasn't good at pretending.

.

.

.

* * *

Bella arrived late at night a week later, at the point of a huge storm, making it almost two weeks since I last saw her. She hadn't informed anyone she was coming either, or else I would've made myself scarce. For hours, I'd been working on the fireplace, but the last thing I wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

I did a lot of thinking since her disappearing act, but was I ready to put it out there? One look at her made that ache in my chest lessen, which I hadn't expected.

Rain lingered in her lashes as she shed her jacket and hung it up, shaking out her wet hair, and placing her laptop bag on the couch. She wasn't the least bit surprised to see me elbow deep in a bucket of water and offered me a smile. "You kept working."

I had to look away, because two weeks hadn't been long enough for me to forget what her lips tasted like. "Yeah, I made a promise to a friend. Remember?"

 _Did you forget all about me, Beauty?_

"True, true. Emmett called me yesterday. He's looking forward to coming home soon." She walked toward the kitchen, her hand sliding along the granite countertop on the island I built. "We have about fifteen days before his return." She turned to face me, her head cocking to one side as she looked at the fireplace I was working on. "That looks amazing." The smile looked genuine, but it didn't meet her eyes.

That shit pissed me off. "Stop fucking pretending, Baby Bella."

She fucking growled in frustration. "It's not fucking fair that _you_ of all people can read me easier than people who have known me for years!" She waved her hands around and stomped that foot of hers, her shoulders rising almost to her ears with tension. "I have to pretend. It's been...what? Thirteen and half days since I last saw you, and one look at you and I remember what it feels like to have you inside me."

I cursed and tossed the sponge in the bucket of water and stood. "You can't say shit like that, because I'm going to react to that dirty mouth of yours. We'll never convince your brother that we're just friends if you talk like that."

From the clench of her jaw and hands, it looked like she wanted to punch me. "That's what we are, or at the very least acquaintances, Edward. _Friends_ mess around like that, right?" She shrugged when I only stared, words caught at the tip of my tongue. A dark laugh filtered through her lips. "Okay, so obviously friendship is out of the question, it seems."

She tugged on her hair, looking around the living room. "That's fine. One day I'm going to learn to ignore that feeling I get right here when you're near me." She held a fist to her stomach; anger mixed with desire lit her fire-whiskey eyes.

That was it. I couldn't ignore the pull any longer.

She was cold when I tugged her against my chest, my hand going behind her neck to cradle her closer, enough for my lips to linger over her tempting mouth. I watched as her lashes fluttered; the pulse along her neck just as quick.

"Don't."

"Don't what, Bella?" She smelled like heaven and hell all at once, a cock hardening combination. "Kiss you like I've wanted to since I woke alone in Vegas."

She threw back my words at me. "You can't say shit like that to me."

Our bodies were stiff against each other, at an impasse. Her delicate hand on my side, the other on my back pulling me closer.

My fingers itched to wander over every inch of her body, to sink into her once again. "I'm sorry."

She shivered, disbelief in her eyes. "No, you're not."

My grip on her neck tightened, bringing her mouth closer to my own. "Let me show you how sorry I am."

"Sex isn't the fucking answer, Edward." She scoffed. "But what are you sorry for exactly?" She wiggled out of my grip and took several steps back, not giving me a chance to answer. "If nothing has changed, then fuck me right now. One last time. Before we put an end to this shit between us once and for all."

I took a step toward her, then stopped when her words sank into my thick head. She wanted one last fuck before we ended it for good. One last ride.

"And if everything has changed?"

She settled her hands on her hips. "Then you're going to have to work for it...Beast."

* * *

 **AN: Before I get any shit about how quick Bella is "forgiving" him, please let me inform you, it will not change how I write MY story. Bella is a grown woman, she's not perfect, but she knows what she wants. Does it mean she'll make it easy for him to have her? No, no she won't. Thansk to my beta MC for all your help, you've been amazing as I filled your inbox with so many words!**


	11. Unexpected

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Eleven—Unexpected**

* * *

 _It's a test. It's a test. It's a test._

I shook my head, having expected something like that from her. She knew she deserved more than another quick fuck against the wall again, and if I were truly apologetic, I'd want to give her more. Uncertainty clawed at me, though, because she could really hurt me. "We need to do this the right way? Is that what you're asking from me?"

"Fuck me now, or fuck me later when we're both ready. It's up to you."

"You're willing to give me a chance." I stepped closer; for every shift toward her, she moved away from me.

She held up her hand to stop me from advancing. "I'm still deciding, but I also want another chance to ride the Beast, too."

I choked on a laugh and advanced toward her again. "Why do you keep moving away, Beauty?"

She waved her hand toward me; my shirt had disappeared hours earlier. I thought I'd spend the night alone, and it was after ten in the evening.

"You're fucking lethal right now, and I'm not about to ruin a chance for something real by doing something stupid like saying hello to Beast with my tongue."

"Jesus." I groaned and had to adjust myself. "Stop talking like that please." I had to leave before I did something like fuck her mouth or welcome her home with my head between her thighs. Work sometimes helped to calm down the so-called beast, so I needed to change tactics. "Do you know how to wipe the grout off the tile?"

We might as well finish what I'd been working on and not risk ruining the tile she ordered.

"Yes." She swallowed, her hand reaching out to touch my chest.

I caught her hand and shook my head. "You touch me now, and it's game over, baby girl."

She sighed when I released my hold on her hand. "Yes, I know how to grout and stuff. Worked with Habitat for Humanity for years, learned through some of the experts there."

She had mentioned that the first day, and I had completely forgotten about it. I wanted to kick my own ass. How much had she told me that I blocked out to make what was between us nothing more than sex?

She indicated she'd go change, and when she returned in some old yoga pants and a long-sleeved, thermal shirt, she looked entirely irresistible. "Okay, let's see if I remember. We've got to move quickly; it looks pretty dry already." She finished strapping on an extra pair of kneepads, grabbed hold of the large sponge in the bucket beside the fireplace, and squeezed some of the water out. "Let's get this done, then."

I refreshed her memory on how to do it, but her ass in those tight yoga pants was not helping my situation with the beast. I cursed myself for calling my own dick that, and cleared my throat to get her attention.

"Make sure you clean up my equipment after you're done; I have to leave."

She dropped the sponge back in the bucket and faced me. "Why?" From the look in her eyes, she knew exactly why I had to go. Her gaze landed on my chest, but finally reached my eyes.

"I made my choice."

"Choice?" she whispered, her gaze lifting from my lips to my eyes again. "Oh!"

I pressed a kiss to her soft cheek and hovered over her ear. "I choose to fuck you later, Beauty."

She pushed me away and rolled her eyes. "What changed your mind? When you were so damn adamant that we could be nothing more than fuck buddies." There was an edge to her voice. She wanted to know that what I learned in Vegas hadn't been what changed my mind. It would take time for her to trust she was much more than a baby incubator.

I knew the moment she laid down the rules that she'd make me work for every kiss or smile. Damn good thing I had an amazing work ethic.

"I let the past rule over the present long enough." I curled some of her hair behind her ear, lingering for a moment. "Other than work, I never planned out my future because a part of me knew it would be a lonely one. After a few days without you crowding my space…"

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, tapping her foot and glaring at me. "I do not crowd your space, besides from the look of it, you've been staying in my space, Beastie."

"I'm not talking about just physically, Bella." I tapped my temple. "In here, too. I tried to forget you, and maybe I would've been fine if more time went on, but I figured out that I didn't _want_ memories of you to go away. I wanted to make more of them. It's why I insisted on finishing the work here, even though the others offered to take over. I was punishing myself by working here, but also trying hard to hold on to every second."

She mumbled something under her breath that sounded like she'd get acquainted with the Beast again within a week if I kept talking like that.

"You know, I actually blocked most of that first day together. You know...when we discussed the renovations and possible expansions."

Her eyes narrowed, and once again, she looked ready to kick me. "Wow, I must be boring, then."

I shrugged. "Far from it. That day, I didn't let myself remember how cute your giggle was or how when you're thinking extra hard, the tip of your tongue pokes out for a second, and you tilt your head, especially when you draw out shit. You also have a tendency to talk with your hands when something is important, and making this house into a home for your brother is important to you. I got an impression from the guys' stories that you were a spitfire, a bit of a brat, and too smart for your own good. You are all those things."

She glared at me, but eventually shrugged. "I know."

At least she owned it and often made up for it by being generous.

"But you're also pretty damn selfless. You wouldn't let some bastard that hurt you get his ass beat within an inch from death because you knew he'd help people in the future once he got the help he needed. I remembered that first day and realized I really do like being around you. I just let myself believe it was what I had to do because I wanted to get in your pants, which reared its ugly head after that first time."

"Thanks for reminding me of the aftermath of that first time; it killed my lust." She pushed me toward the front door, promising to finish wiping off the grout.

I stepped off the porch and looked at her over my shoulder. "I'll see you soon." A promise, I told myself.

"I'll see you later, Beastie." She hugged me from behind, her soft breasts pressing against the hard expanse of my back. "I'll do what I can not to hurt you."

How did she know it was one of my main concerns of all this?

"You have to make sure I don't hurt you either. Tell me if I'm being as asshole." My hand held on to hers over my chest. "You and I both know I don't deserve a second chance."

"Technically, it's your third, one more strike and…"

"I'm out."

.

.

.

* * *

"Motherfucker!" Bella growled and hopped around on one foot a few days later. Everyone stopped what they were doing and instantly wanted to check on her.

Me, I knew better. I'd learned _that_ over the last couple of days.

A determined Bella didn't like to be babied, at all. The guys always checked on her, though, and tried to talk her out of whatever new project we were working on. With Emmett's pending return, we were all determined to finish the repairs, addition, and deck before his arrival. It had to be a team effort, and Bella had promised she'd keep them well fed and buy us all a few rounds later.

"I fucking hate baseboards. Do we need to have this shit?" Bella looked around Emmett's bedroom we were working on, the others coming in from the hallway and master bathroom.

"What happened?" Jasper sounded both exasperated and concerned.

"Stubbed her toe, again." My muttered words caught Bella's attention and earned me a scowl. "How have you've managed _not_ to break it in the last few days?"

She flipped me off and waved off the others. "I'm fine, guys. I think I'm just frustrated. I haven't left the house in a couple of days and there's too much testosterone around here."

I had a feeling her frustration had to do with me, considering we hadn't had any time alone since her return. The sexual tension between us seemed to thicken the air, and the guys felt it, too, even though they hadn't mentioned it.

"The weather hasn't exactly been good either," Tyler pointed out, a paint roller in hand. He cursed when a drop fell on the floor, which he wiped up quickly. "We all know you're a horrible driver in the rain."

She huffed as her cheeks flushed a little. "One fender bender does not mean I suck!"

"I thought it was two." Eric had taken a seat on the bed and smiled when she turned her lethal glare on him.

"There was no damage to that man's truck, which he pointed out when I offered him compensation." We remembered, since we'd all gone to pick up supplies from the local hardware store.

"Then why did he ask for your information?" Jasper seemed satisfied with Bella's grimace.

She sent a look in my direction, then looked away and sighed. "He asked me out to dinner."

That got my attention; she hadn't mentioned that shit to any of us. "This is news." Tyler put down his paint roller and folded his arms over his chest. "Tell us about the new boy in your life."

"Boy? He was older than all of you!" She waved her arms around. "I told him I wasn't interested in dating him."

Finally, I spoke up. "How did he take it?"

Bella flushed again, and from the grip on the brad nail gun in her hand she didn't want to discuss it any more. "Not well, considering he wants a thousand bucks for non-existent damages. Thankfully, the truck was parked or else he would've asked for way more, especially if he finds out what I'm worth."

I sighed. "Might as well pay it, but not before he signs something stating he won't ask for more."

"I thought of that." Bella looked up from her shoes and shrugged. "Sorry, guys, I'm feeling a bit off; that's all. Sorry if I'm being a brat."

I turned her toward me, shaking her shoulders a little. "You've had a tough year, and the last couple of weeks haven't been a picnic either." I heard all about her troubles back East over the last few days; Paul and Marcus weren't the toughest obstacles she had to endure. "You haven't seen Emmett in over a year. You're entitled to feeling off."

"He hasn't said if he's reenlisting or not." She sniffled a little. "I think I'm nervous about that the most."

"He told me he wasn't," I said with a touch to her cheek.

The others groaned, Eric smacking the back of my head.

I punched his shoulder, hard. Fucker. "What? It was a surprise?"

Jasper chuckled. "Yeah, dumbass, he's so going to kick your ass for telling her."

"He's coming home for good?" A light in Bella's eyes sparked, and she whooped and did a little dance.

Tyler's deep voice changed the subject. "Okay, I'm still on Bella saying no to the truck owner. Why are you not interested again?"

I sent a glare toward Tyler and wondered what the fuck he was doing. Bella and I hadn't had much chance to talk.

"Uh." Bella didn't look at me, which was her first mistake.

"Are you and Edward still fucking?" Eric surprised us all by that outburst.

"Who is fucking who?" An out of place voice, though familiar, came from the hallway. "Did Edward finally meet someone to stick that beast into or what?"

The color drained from Bella's face, but a smile soon slid into place on her beautiful lips. "Emmie! Oh my God, Emmett!" She ran-limped toward the imposing figure near the bedroom door. He caught her mid-leap; her legs wound his waist, her arms around his neck.

Then she broke down and cried.

* * *

 **AN: Surprise! Oh shit, Emmett is home and knows Edward met someone. How long do you think it'll be before he figures out who? I'd like to thank Midnight Cougar she's been awesome as I keep sending her stuff. Also, to the reviewer that decided to both complement and insult me in one go, thanks. Why is it when I'm on a roll, I get those kinds of reviews? Are they aware that only makes it worse? Is that their goal? Good thing I don't give a fuck what you think. Bye Felicia!**


	12. Homecoming

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Twelve—Homecoming**

* * *

Emmett looked confused as fuck, but he held Bella in his arms and whispered to her. She kept shaking her head as she continued to sob. The rest of us stood still, unsure what to do—me especially since I had never seen her breakdown.

What happened in Vegas paled in comparison; she held it together for as long as possible. This time, facing her brother after learning he wasn't reenlisting, she dropped all pretenses and just let go. And in front of me, and damn, if that didn't make something warm and tighten in my chest. She trusted me on some level.

A part of me wanted to walk closer and offer some form of comfort, but I wasn't sure how either she or Emmett would react. I went with my gut instinct and moved toward them before anyone had a chance, and brushed my hand gently down Bella's back.

"Let's head into the living room so we can talk."

Emmett's brow tightened in what I saw as confusion. Was he wondering why I was the first to comfort her? Being the oldest in the room could explain it. Hoping to dodge the question of "why me" for a while longer, I gestured toward the hall and continued.

"I accidentally let it slip that you weren't reenlisting."

Emmett chuckled as Bella mumbled her displeasure for keeping it a secret then flicked his ear. The big guy threatened to toss her over his shoulder if she didn't stop abusing him.

"You better not, Emmy!" She continued to grumble as she settled her head on her brother's shoulder. "You should've told me. I've been a wreck about it all month since you said you were coming home."

"I'm sorry, Sis. I wanted it to be a surprise. I didn't think you'd get anxious about it." Emmett hugged her tighter and settled her on the couch. He sat on the coffee table in front of her, grasping her hands. "But all this isn't just about me not reenlisting."

"A lot has happened since she came home." Tyler patted my shoulder as I tried to figure out where to sit.

Did I sit closer to Bella or as far away as possible not to clue in her brother? Her eyes flashed toward me for a second, but looked away quickly, biting the corner of her lips. Did she want me to sit with her? I wasn't familiar with what to do in situations like this, much less one where I was dating my best friend's sister.

The guys took seats around the room, leaving me little choice in the matter. Though, I decided to go with my instinct anyway. I put a little room between Bella and me, a few inches at least. Emmett looked at me for a moment, but he didn't seem upset or confused. More like curious.

Emmett smiled at his sister, earning one in return. He wiped away the last of her tears. "Now that you got that out of your system, want to tell me how long you've been sleeping with my boss and best friend?"

The room went silent as fuck, I even stopped breathing for a second. Yes, that did happen in real life when something shocked the fuck out of you.

The corner of Bella's mouth tipped higher than the other. "What gave us away?"

Emmett shook his head. "He was the first to offer _you_ some comfort and he didn't hesitate for long to sit beside you. The Edward I know doesn't do that unless there's a damn good reason or if he's close to the person."

Jasper snorted behind Emmett, chuckling. "We did tell you if anyone could get Edward to open up it would be her."

Eric and Tyler fist bumped and laughed, too.

Bella and I shared a looked at each other in confusion. "Are you saying you all placed bets on us?" She was on her feet, hands on her hips, glaring at her brother and leveling the others with one, too.

"Edward was drowning, Baby Bella." Emmett shrugged and pulled out his wallet, handing some money to Jasper. "We weren't necessarily betting against you, just on how long it would take you to hit it off or kill each other. You're both the most stubborn people we've ever met. It could've gone either way."

Eric rolled his eyes and handed Jasper a fifty-dollar bill. "It still could go either way."

"When did it start anyway?" Emmett looked to the others for answers.

"Pretty much from the start, but it solidified in the last few days." Tyler offered up the information, rubbing his hands together as Jasper counted the money they all exchanged and split between them.

"You are all unbelievable!" Bella threw her hands over her head and stomped toward the kitchen, calling for me.

Still shocked by Emmett's revelation and the bet between my so-called friends, I followed her without question and cornered her against the counter. She wouldn't look at me, while the guys continued to catcall from the living room, lively and a hundred times better than the uncertainty in the face of a tearful Bella.

"I'm sorry our friends and my brother are assholes." She seemed unsure for a moment. "We haven't had any time to talk about…" The tips of her fingers danced down the center of my chest, but I felt it like a stroke against my cock. What this woman did to me was unnerving as much as it was amazing. How the fuck did I think I could ever walk away from her?

"We both decided that me spending the night wasn't a good idea." I rubbed my thumb along her bottom lip, my eyes closing when I felt her tongue move along the tip. "With good reason. Behave."

She offered an unapologetic smile. "Are you saying if you were left alone with me, you'd try to seduce me?"

Of course, I would try, but I'd also attempt a conversation. It would be hard, no pun intended, but also important to establish that this thing between us wasn't just sexual chemistry. I didn't think so on my end. Considering everything Bella had said and done, I'd say we were finally on the same page.

"If not me, you'd try." It was an arrogant thing to say, but honest. She would do everything to get me to give in, have me beg. And I would, eventually.

She laughed, her forehead resting on my chest. "Try? Please, I'd have you under me in record time, baby."

I closed my eyes and grinned. Not that I minded, it let me know exactly what she was thinking.

"Can't believe Emmett is okay with this." I skimmed my fingers down her back, settling my hands at the small of her back. She had the sexiest back dimples I had ever seen; I hadn't worshipped them with my touch or tongue since Vegas. I was dying for another taste of them and the rest of her.

"Okay with what exactly?" Emmett headed toward the fridge, whistling when he saw it was one of those fancy Sub-Zero brands. "I see you upgraded the appliances, and the kitchen looks fucking awesome." He remained rooted where he stood, at least several feet between us. "Either of you going to answer the question?"

Bella stepped out from between the counter and my body and slipped her hand into my mine. I intertwined our fingers and brought them up to kiss her knuckles.

Her eyes were a little brighter as she answered him. "We're dating."

"She's my girlfriend," I said at the same time." We looked at each other and laughed. "Uh, yeah, it's pretty new, man. Sorry I didn't tell you the few times we talked."

Emmett waved a hand dismissively. "Telling me you're dating my sister is not exactly a conversation for over the phone. I don't think I need to say it, but I will. If you—"

"Don't bother; the guys pretty much gave him a hard time since they found out." Bella rolled her eyes and peeked into the living room, surprised to find it empty. "Where did they go?"

"They went upstairs to clean up." Emmett pointed a finger at his sister. "Stop trying to change the subject. This is between Edward and me."

Bella cocked a hip and bared her teeth in what I could only call a snarl, her eyes narrowing. "Considering that you want to discuss _me_ , then I'd say it's between us all."

Emmett groaned. "I never had to act like a big brother with one of your boyfriends, give me a chance. Someone has to do it!"

Bella scoffed and waved her hands around. "Hello! Did you forget about Paul, Jacob, Marcus, and everyone else who paid a little attention to me? You scared most of my dates away when I was a kid."

"You were twelve or on the way to college, what did you expect!"

I stood between them as they bickered and started to laugh. "I'm going to let you two get everything off your chests and help the others."

Bella protested and Emmett stated that we hadn't finished talking.

I turned to them. "I love you both, but it's clear you two need to talk as much as Bella and I do. I have a couple of errands to run, but how about I come back in a few hours with pizzas and calzones for dinner? We can talk then."

Bella stepped closer and wrapped her arms around my waist. "I don't want you to go yet."

I kissed the top of her head, loving the soft, sweet scent of her hair. "I'll be back; I promise. But you'll have to give your brother and me a chance to talk, then we'll have that conversation _we_ need to have."

She smiled up at me. "Girlfriend, huh?"

Unsure for a second, I had to ask. "Is that okay?"

"Yes."

Simple as that.

With one last kiss and a promise to return later, I helped the guys pack up and leave. We all wanted Emmett and Bella to have some time to themselves. They had a lot to discuss, and I really hoped she told her brother everything about Vegas. It was her secret, and I would never betray her, but I also felt it was hurting her more keeping it to herself. Time would tell. I only hoped we had plenty of time to figure things out.

.

.

.

* * *

I turned on the seat warmer of the passenger seat of my SUV that I got out of the garage for the first time in months. I placed the pizzas and calzones on it, waving at some familiar faces. The main street of our small town was crowded, as families and couples filled the shops and restaurants.

Davis tapped on the glass, the look on his face grave. "You heading home?"

"No, to Bella's—Emmett returned a few hours ago." Dread settled like a stone at the pit of my stomach. "Is something wrong?"

Davis looked away and sighed. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but your ex-wife turned up dead, Edward."

Fuck me.

* * *

 **AN: Runs and hides. Thanks to MC for your help with the chapter. DO NOT BLAME ME, BLAME EDWARD.**


	13. Person of Interest

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Thirteen – Person of Interest**

* * *

Shock did something to a person's mind and body. For some, it often locked away everything, sending a person into a state of stillness. For others, every action was automatic, sensing the mind's need to process the information it needed to survive without any real thought by the person affected.

This was what drove me after the news from Davis. An automatic pilot had taken over and soon had me sitting in the driveway of Emmett and Bella's house. I wasn't sure how long I'd been in my car, only that I returned to reality when Bella cradled my face and asked what was wrong.

Worry filled her eyes. I must be scaring her.

"You're so beautiful." I cupped her cheek and noticed her brow tighten a little more. "Davis stopped me in town, to give me heads up that some detectives will be stopping by once they realize I'm not home."

Emmett crowded right behind Bella. "Detectives? Did one of you hurt Paul or Marcus?"

I shook my head, unable to answer the questions in their eyes.

Bella sighed and removed my seat belt. "Okay, if they're on the way, maybe we should get inside and eat. Continue as if nothing has changed."

I couldn't help myself, kissing her forehead. "Everything has changed, Beauty. Let's go inside."

Emmett went around the SUV and grabbed the bag of food and the box of pizza from the passenger seat. "I'm fucking starving."

"You're always hungry," Bella grumbled. She intertwined our fingers and led the way inside the house. Once we made it to the kitchen, she pushed me into a chair and started to grab things so we could eat.

The usually delicious pizza tasted like cardboard to me, turning to a brick once it settled in my stomach. The silence, other than the sound of chewing, started to grate on my nerves. A part of me wanted them to come out and ask why Davis stopped me in town and why detectives were on the way.

"Heidi, my ex-wife, showed up dead." I shared a look with Emmett, unable to meet Bella's eyes yet.

"I thought she was still serving her sentence for ripping you off?" Bella looked at me, hoping to catch my eye by the way she cocked her head.

With everything that had happened, I forgot to mention to my friends that Heidi had been released. I managed to keep my gaze away from her.

"Look at me, Edward. Why are you avoiding it?"

"I don't want you to think I still loved her."

Bella placed her hand over mine. "I know how you feel about her and what she did. I know you don't love her anymore, maybe never did?"

I shook my head.

"Despite your feelings and what she did, it doesn't mean you wanted her dead. I understand why you're shocked. I know if we suddenly got the call that our mother was dead, I would be."

Emmett had rarely discussed his mother, but from what he did say, Renee H. Swan was on husband number four and they had no idea where she was or if she was alive. Neither of them had spoken to the woman in years.

"Thanks for understanding." There wasn't much else to say. "Davis didn't have a lot of information other than she was released on parole and moved to Reddington instead of remaining in Atlanta. She somehow convinced a judge that it would be best to be close to family and loved ones. She also had a lot of information on me plastered all over her computer and desk at home."

She'd been watching me for weeks. Unfortunately, someone had been watching her and likely killed her.

"Did Davis say you're a suspect?" Bella was on top of things, notebook and pen in hand, her phone on the table getting information about the murder. "Fuck, not yet you're not, but you're a person of interest."

"How the hell do you know that?" Emmett looked over her shoulder and groaned. "Did you hack the police department with your phone?"

"I had no idea that you worked with computers too?" I laughed, though it sounded off, even to me.

Bella blushed but pecked my lips. "What can I say? I want you to be prepared as much as possible. They don't have a cause of death or much on file yet, but it won't be long before I have that information."

"There's such a thing as too prepared, Bella." Emmett was quick to point out that rehearsed answers to the detective's questions would be just as suspicious as not having any.

"You're right." She looked at her brother and glowered for a second. "When did you get so smart?"

Emmett ruffled her hair, pissing her off. She gave him a purple nurple that made him cry for mercy. Their childlike dynamic made me relax a little more because it was familiar and heartwarming. It was as if little time had passed since they'd last seen each other. Once again, they were comfortable enough with me around to act like themselves.

"Thanks for taking my mind off this shit."

They suddenly remembered they had an audience and laughed out loud. "No problem, man." Emmett gathered his sister in his arms in what appeared like a hug until he had her in a headlock.

She protested and fought like crazy to get away from his stinky pits, according to her. Their laughter coming to a stop at the sound of the doorbell.

"Bella, why don't you go grab the door?" Emmett released her and gave her a small smile.

She took a moment to gather herself, straighten out her clothes and hair, and give me a wink. "Let's do this."

Emmett and I listened to Bella's greeting of the detectives, their replies were stiff and what you'd come to expect from authorities at your door. She let them know that I'd been working all morning and had gone home for a while and then brought them dinner.

"Your brother, Emmett James Swan, arrived this morning?"

"Yes, Detective Richardson." She entered the kitchen and offered me a tentative smile, then allowed them to pass her. "Edward, this is Detective Richardson and Detective Biers, they wanted to talk to you."

I rose from my chair, giving them each a firm handshake. "We can take this in the living room, if you'd like?"

Richardson, a man in his mid to late fifties, shook his head. "You're not surprised to see us, are you?" He followed me into the living area and took a seat opposite me.

"My ex-wife started to call me on a weekly basis since her release. Somehow, I knew she'd get herself in trouble; it's what she's good at. You're either here because she's a suspect for some con job or she's dead."

I kept my face as neutral as possible, coming up with ways to move money around to ensure my family didn't suffer if I was charged with something. A good lawyer cost a fortune, and I didn't want them to drown in debt to save me. My sister Rose would quit college and do whatever she could to help me.

The other detective, only a few inches taller than Richardson's five-nine height, looked bored. As if he'd rather be anywhere else; his voice matched the look, monotone and bland, his blond hair and dull blue eyes were unremarkable. "She's dead, Mr. Cullen."

They both watched for my reaction. I had none, having already known.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I hadn't heard from her for at least three days. Not since I changed my phone number." I repeated both numbers and explained that Heidi spammed my phone until I had to turn it off.

"May I ask what was the nature of her calls?"

"I don't know; I refused to answer once I knew it was her. Never gave her a chance to say anything other than a word a two. Blocked each number she called me from."

Richardson looked down at a little notebook, writing down the info with a stubby pencil. Biers simply repeated the information, looking for confirmation from me, before committing it to memory it seemed.

"I'm guessing due to the nature of her death, it wasn't accidental." I glanced between the two officers.

"No," Richardson answered, slapping his notebook closed and placing it in his jacket pocket. "Her car was found abandoned near a hiking trail, but from what we could determine, she didn't do outdoor stuff."

I snorted. "Not unless it was glam camping; she wouldn't step onto a trail or wear a pair of hiking boots, no matter how much it cost."

Richardson nodded, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "There had been a struggle and her phone happened to break during her attack. You're not a suspect since according to Detective Davis from the local sheriff's department, you were working on the diner's storefront along with half of your crew at the time of her death."

"All right, but I'm guessing there's more."

Biers looked me straight in the eye. "Your wife was involved—"

"Ex-wife," Bella corrected, placing her hand on my shoulder, joining us. "If he's not a suspect, then you're here because of whoever she'd been involved with."

"Heidi Platt, the name she was using…"

I cursed and wanted to resurrect Heidi and shake her hard. "She used my mother's maiden name."

"I'm afraid so." There was something about how Richardson said those words that alarmed me.

"Explain."

Bella offered me her support silently, with a shift of her body next to mine. Her warmth, the fact that she was there with me, allowed me to relax. Emmett stood against the wall, watching the detectives, both intimidating and impassive.

"After the money ran out, we're guessing, she turned to old contacts and did a few more cons. Worked with a few partners that didn't like how big her cut was."

Detective Biers continued where Richardson stopped. "Caius Volturi is an up and coming figure in the underworld in Atlanta—she was mixed in with him."

"She was working with him or he was the con?" Bella asked.

"You're not just a pretty face, are you?" Richardson gave Bella a smile and a pointer finger.

I wanted to smash in his face.

"He was the con," Bella answered her own question. She didn't let what the asshole detective said bother her, probably used to that kind of treatment. "How much?"

"Going off rumors, she walked away with a million dollars," Biers replied and stood. "There was no money recovered, and not only are her partners and Mr. Volturi suspects, but we've also come to believe she wanted to hide the money with you."

"I hadn't seen her in years, not since her sentencing. Plus, I would never take something she would've given me."

"We figured as much, but the problem is, Mr. Volturi and her partners don't know that and will come looking for the money if she didn't have it with her when she was killed."

Emmett started to curse. "Are you saying that Edward has to watch his back?"

They hadn't come out to say it. Not yet.

Biers continued and pulled out his cell phone. "Her apartment was broken into. Evidence indicates, they not only took her computer, maybe some photos she had tacked up on her walls. We managed to piece together which ones."

He showed us a series of thumbnails. "This was recovered from her camera. She'd taken a few photos of her own wall, probably to take with her. She had obviously become obsessed with you, and Ms. Swan."

There were a lot of pictures of my Beauty. Written on a black and white photo of Bella standing in her yard, glaring at me were several money symbols over her face and body.

My heart fucking stopped.

"If they can't find the money, they'll find another way to get it."

What better than the ex's new, rich girlfriend.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks to MC for helping with the chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	14. Her Turn

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Fourteen—Her Turn**

* * *

"Are you kidding me right now?" Bella looked at me then her brother from behind her laptop. "You want me to leave, head back to Alec's cabin all by myself?"

"Even Alec stated that any member of the Volturi family is not to be trifled with." I tried to remain as calm when the detectives had handed us pictures of Caius and a few of his associates earlier. It had been futile after they expressed concern that Caius wouldn't take care of the job himself.

Caius wasn't stupid.

Alec had agreed with their assessment. Shortly after the detectives left, I suggested that Bella contact Marcus, much to her and my surprise. Emmett hadn't wanted to agree with me, but in the end, he knew the asshole could offer us vital information and assistance, if needed.

I wasn't willing to take any chances with her. Nor was I willing for her to pay for stupid shit my ex did. However, Bella had been sensible and called Alec instead. If anyone other than Marcus could help, it would be him; he had the same connections as his boss. He was hopping on a plane after ending their call, despite her stating she could handle it.

She attempted to reason with us using a different tactic. "You guys need me. The police will no doubt have all-hands-on-deck considering this is the most action they'd seen in years. They barely went digital, and have yet to implement upgrades in the last few years. Trust me; I need to be here. They didn't find the money, which puts you—" she pointed at me, determination in her dark gaze "—in too much danger."

If anyone could match her stubbornness, it was me. I refused to back down. Emmett started on her first.

"If that's the case, all the more reason for you to go into hiding. How do you know that they didn't find the money?" Emmett shrugged when I glared at him. Asking her questions about the case would only encourage her. "What? She was a regular Nancy Drew back in the day."

She sat on a stool at the other end of the kitchen island, typing fast and studying her laptop screen. "The time of the murder happened before her place was trashed. Why would they bother going there after if they found the money on her? If she told them before she died, why trash it in the first place?"

"Wait? How can you tell that? The cops hadn't indicated if they thought the money was found or not." I rounded the island to look over her shoulder at the screen.

There were two photos side-by-side on the screen, one of a watch I'd given to Heidi for her birthday one year, broken and clearly stating she had died early in the morning or before sunset. Beside that photo was one inside her apartment, a broken wall clock lay on its side on the ground, about ninety-eight minutes later.

"That could be at night." I wanted the killer to have found the money and moved the fuck on, leaving our area behind, and those close to me would be out of danger.

Since when had the universe made anything easier for me?

Bella shook her head. "Maybe, but, Edward, why was _she_ interested in me? Why look for a new cash source if she already had that kind of money? Sure, our economy is shit and it's not getting any better, but it would at least give her a nice long break and hide somewhere better than back home."

"Are you thinking she didn't take the money in the first place?" Emmett pointed out, his finger circling around his temple. "I can see the gears working in your head, Sis. Tell us what you're thinking."

"Maybe someone conned the con. She likely worked with someone because you'd be an idiot to work alone with someone like Caius Volturi. That person set her up and left with the money, ensuring everything would be pinned on her."

"You're saying she came here to find a way to con the money out of you, through me, so she could pay back what she didn't steal?" I looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Yes, it's all speculative and a bit convoluted, but she probably figured out she couldn't outrun them. She had a few fake IDs in her belongings, so it took a while for them to find her real name. Once they did, they didn't hesitate to confront her. She has a few photos of the area she liked to jog, which happened to be where she was killed. The killer studied her routine, figured out where to talk to her in private, and when she couldn't come up with the money, he or she killed her. Or they, since the police believe there had been more than one."

I could see she had been thinking about the situation with an imaginative eye, but was she right? "Why kill her if they didn't have the money yet? Dead bodies won't tell anyone anything."

"Maybe she admitted that someone else was involved and they had taken the money." Emmett seemed intrigued but scared of what it all meant.

Bella's safety was in jeopardy.

I pulled her off the stool and met her gaze. My hands settled on her arms, shaking her gently. "Bella, that's all well and good, and we can pass these speculations to Davis or one of the detectives on the case, but there's still the matter that my fucking ex-wife painted a bullseye on you. The killer or killers have a hard-on for you because of my association with you. I can't concentrate on helping the police if you're out in the open."

She pursed her lips, her dark eyes narrowing. "How do you think I'll feel up in the cabin, going out of my mind with worry for you and my brother, and all of our friends? These people will not hesitate to use any of them to get the money they think you owe them because you happened to have been married to her once. Or they probably think you were helping her and hiding the money, which is even worse."

A flush covered high on her cheeks, her eyes dilated slightly, and her nipples were hard. Was it my proximity or the fact that we were fighting that turned her on? I couldn't pinpoint what was causing the discomfort in my jeans other than the fact that I really wanted to turn her ass pink and fuck her.

I stepped closer, leaning down until we were eye to eye. "If it hadn't been for _my_ ex-wife you wouldn't be in danger."

Her eyes softened a tiny bit, then she really fucked with my head. "How are you going to concentrate if I'm all alone in some cabin by myself, presenting the perfect fucking target?"

I had nothing for her but a fucking erection and another glare. Why did she have to be so damn logical all the time? Then again, her intelligence was a huge turn on, as if I needed more reasons. "Okay, genius. What do you suggest?"

"Come with me."

Emmett groaned and rolled his eyes from the other side of the island. "That might be the best idea because I seriously can't stand the heat between you two and it's making me uncomfortable." He shuddered visibly. "I'll stay with one of the guys, talk to them about all this, too. Figure out how to keep her safe."

Bella broke our stare to look at her brother with concern. "It's probably a good idea to stay here."

Emmett shook his head. "I'll be fine, Sis. Don't worry about me."

She tried again. "They could use you against us."

 _Us, we're an_ _ **us**_ _._

Emmett nodded then walked to the nearest closet that had a hidden gun safe inside. He armed himself with a handgun and an extra clip, while we locked up the house before he left.

We were alone for the first time in weeks and both of us came to the same realization. There hadn't been time to talk about what we expected from each other to move forward in our relationship. Sex wasn't the answer, but sometimes it was needed. The idea that someone out there wanted her to pay for someone else's greed and need for revenge had desire and fear consuming me.

She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled until our lips were within reach of each other.

I closed the distance unable to resist her soft mouth any longer. Her moan fueled my own desire to a roaring fucking fire, and I knew I had to have her. The kiss was borderline brutal, and I worked to soften it, but once again, every sound she made was kindling for my need.

My hands slid down her back and grabbed her amazing ass, pulling her closer. A groan resonated between us the moment I settled her on the stool behind her. It allowed her thighs to cradle my hips, bringing me closer to that sweet, sweet spot my cock sorely missed.

"We should talk," I tried to reason with her and myself.

She gasped as my teeth tugged on her bottom lip. "Yes, we should talk in the bedroom."

I laughed, unable to help it. "What the fuck are you doing to me, Beauty?"

Her hands and arms slid up my chest and circled around my shoulders. "Keeping you on your toes, _my_ Beast."

Jesus, why did that sound so fucking hot?

"What am I going to do with you?" My tongue slid along her bottom lip, my teeth sinking into the soft skin.

She shivered and tipped her head back when I released her lip, leaving her slender neck exposed. "I was thinking you should check how sensitive my thighs will become if you spend a little time between them."

 _My dirty talking Beauty, fuck me, I love that._

I found it difficult to catch my breath and felt like a ticking time bomb. "Fucking hell, how am I supposed to resist you?"

Her fingers slid into my hair as my lips got reacquainted with her shoulder and neck. "Who said you had to tonight?"

I groaned and returned to her beautiful mouth, tasting and claiming her in one kiss. "We're supposed to take this slow." My hands were fucking shaking, for some reason, and I had to get some control.

"If you really need me to be somewhere safe, this could be the last time we see each other for days, maybe even weeks."

My hands slid up her thighs, up the beautiful curves of her body, grazing her breasts until I cradled her face. I pressed my lips over her cheeks, forehead, temples, and nose. "I only want you safe, Bella. That's all."

She stared for a few moments, then nodded. "Okay, I'll go."

My relief was palpable enough for her to notice, the tension on my shoulders eased, my hands stopped shaking.

She captured my wrists, slipping off the stool, her body sliding against mine. Warm and soft, fucking irresistible. "Take me to bed, Edward." Her arms draped over my shoulders, her mouth torturing me with little nips and kisses along my chest.

I ran my hands up the back of her thighs to pull her up until her legs wrapped around me. Our lips met and teased as I walked toward her bedroom, her hips tightening around me with every step.

"Oh God, I can't wait to feel you inside me again." She rolled her hips in my hands, glorious warmth moving over me.

"Fucking tease." I pushed her against the wall in the hallway, ground against her, thrusting my tongue to her mouth until she pulled away to breathe. My lips tasted and teased along her neck, her fingers between us worked to get my button up off. I grabbed my t-shirt from behind and tossed it aside.

"I don't mean to tease." The heat of her palms on her my bare chest scorched my skin as she explored. "I just want to feel your touch everywhere."

"Tease me all you want, baby." I pulled us away from the wall and into her bedroom, kicking the door closed behind me. "As long as I feel you come around my cock at the end of the night, it'll be worth it."

She laughed and wiggled in my hold. "That sounds like a challenge." Her teeth nipped at the corner of my bottom lip.

"Are you up for it?" I knew my taunt would strengthen her determination to drive me absolutely fucking crazy and I'd enjoy every second of it.

She shook her head playfully. "You doubt me, Beastie? Why don't you put me down and we'll see who will have the last word?"

I kicked off my shoes and socks, while she did the same with her flip-flops.

She rubbed her hands together in what I could only describe as glee, her darkened gaze roamed over me. Her breathing a little labored and her skin flushed as if she was ready to be fucked.

I stepped back and held out my arms. "I'm all yours, Beauty."

A smile lit up her face. "You are, aren't you?"

The truth brought a smile to my face. "Yes."

She stalked around my body, her hand tracing my skin along the waist of my jeans. There was an obvious gap thanks to my hardened cock, the tips of her fingers teasing the tip of me with her thumb.

I threw back my head, my hips thrusting closer to the warmth of her hands.

She undid the metal button; both hands splayed open my zipper. "I missed you."

A half-moan, half-laugh fell from my lips, watching as she gazed adoringly at my dick. How could she be both cute as fuck and sexy at the same time?

The beast twitched under her attention. Preened like a fucking peacock. I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to maintain some control. A part of me wanted to take over and fuck her hard. The other wanted to see what she would do with me. "He missed you too, baby girl. Give him a kiss hello."

She grinned and proceeded to remove my jeans and boxers in the most erotic way known to mankind. Her hands slid under the fabric, her thumbs running down the V shape of my hips, then her fingers moved to squeeze my ass, pulling me closer to her body. She worked my jeans and boxers down and kneeled to press her lips to my thighs as more and more of my skin became exposed.

So fucking close to my cock.

"Fuck me." I wanted her lips on me right the fuck now.

"All in good time, baby." She pushed aside my jeans and boxers and ran her hands up my thighs. Her t-shirt disappeared under the bed, her bra next.

"What are you doing?" I wanted my mouth on her tits.

"Giving you a better view."

"Fucking hell, Bella. You on your knees, so close my dick, is already the best view imaginable." Yet, there she was looking like sin, her chest flushed from lust for me. Yeah, the view could get better, as long as she was part of it. My hands gravitated to my cock, stroking it once.

She moaned, slapping my hand away playfully. "He's all mine right now." Her hand replaced mine, hot and tight in her grip. Her tongue swept over the tip, then the warm, wet slide of it traced the path of every vein.

My cock was so damn hard, becoming painful as need pulsed through me. "Take me in your mouth."

She cocked an eyebrow, fire lighting up her eyes.

"Please." Whatever I said next wouldn't make sense to anyone, my brain losing coherency. She used her tongue, lips, and hands to bring me the ultimate pleasure. Then she upped the notch by placing my hand on the top of her head, looking at me through slightly dazed eyes.

"You want me to fuck your mouth?"

She moaned around my cock in response.

"Fuck!" I grabbed the back of her head, my fingers weaving through her hair. "Take your hand off my cock, baby. We both know you can take all of me in your pretty mouth." She had insisted on trying in Vegas, and succeeded the second time and had me coming in just a few minutes with that little trick she used.

Vibrations filtered from her lips to my cock. She slid her hand from my cock to grip my thigh.

"Use your nails; you know how I like it."

The bite of her nails made me hiss in pain, but the slow glide of her tongue turned the sting to bliss. I slid my dick farther between her lips, reminding her to breathe through her nose. The tip of my cock hit the back of her throat, then she swallowed.

I cursed as my control threatened to unravel. Thrust after thrust, she took it all. I snapped when I realized one of her hands were in her panties. She was getting off on me fucking her mouth, in giving me pleasure.

I wanted to come between her beautiful thighs, but she wouldn't let me go. A mischievous glint filled her eyes, the hand she had inside her pussy, wet and hot, pressed the spot just under my balls.

I groaned and thrust shallowly in her mouth until I came down her throat. My vision went from perfect to a blinding white until darkness started to fringe the edges. I had to shake my head to gain it back. Bella knew how to bring me to my knees.

She pulled back, satisfied with herself, but from the shift of her thighs, she hadn't gotten off yet.

Good.

I pulled her up and tossed her on the bed, her moan music to my ears. My hands ran up her thighs, spreading her knees apart. I blew my warm breath against the hottest, wettest part of her. She gasped, writhing in my hold.

Our eyes met when I wedged my shoulders between her knees. "My turn."

* * *

 **AN: I used the wrong name for his ex-wife in the last couple of chapters. Its Heidi that he once married and ripped him off. Irina was his most recent relationship, not the other way around. Oops. Thanks to MC for her help with the chapter, any mistakes are my own. I can't leave my stuff alone lol. Life has been insane and I'm in the middle of a family crisis, I'm not ready to explain yet, but it's been difficult to find the desire to write. I'm doing my best and will likely post a drabble type fic to set a fire under my ass and get me going again, not sure yet. What do you to help keep you motivated?**


	15. A Gift

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Fifteen—A Gift**

* * *

A rough tug of her body and a fall to _my_ knees and I had her thighs hitched over my shoulders. My lips skimming like a whisper along her skin, her back arched at the barely-there touch, moans and whimpers accompanying each thrust of her hips. I clamped my forearm over her lower abdomen; the lack of movement would only enhance her pleasure.

Her soft yet frustrated sound made me laugh against her pussy. My breath added to my torturously slow, mutually sexual torment. Her thighs quivered slightly as I brushed my stubbly cheeks over flushed skin.

"Open up for me, Bella. Show me how I make you feel."

She moaned, her fingers finding purchase in my hair as she complied with my desire. The gentle scrape of her nails on my head made me groan, not surprised to find myself already aching to be inside her.

First, I needed the taste of her on my tongue. One last skim of my lips on the inside of her thighs and I chose to ease some of her tension. Gentle was not on the agenda, not after fantasizing for weeks since Vegas. I explored and devoured her, as if it would be the last time, even though I knew it wouldn't be.

Not if I could help it. I'd have her again and again.

Every swipe of my tongue had her moaning. Every thrust of my fingers made her cry out my name. Every stroke of my thumb on her clit had her screaming. Every sound she made also had me desperate for more.

I would never get enough. How I thought I would ever walk away from her escaped me in the moment. She fit perfectly by my side, in my world. Our relationship would never be fifty-fifty percent, because each of us would give a hundred or more.

Her fingers left my hair to twist in the sheets, fibers breaking under her firm grip. The sound of tearing fabric followed her scream as she dived into oblivion.

Raspy whispers of my name had me standing quickly, the back of her knee fit perfectly in the crook of my elbow as I thrust inside her, stilling to feel the last flutters tease my cock.

Issuing a rough warning to hold on, I slid in and out of her quick and hard, riding her orgasm into another one. Lost in the pleasure, her knee dropped to the bed, my hands on her gorgeous breasts, using her body for leverage to push and pull until she came on my cock one last time. It didn't take me long to follow her.

I helped her into the center of the bed, realizing she was too sated to move even an inch. Flopping onto my back beside her, I couldn't help the grin on my face as I struggled to catch my breath.

She slapped my chest, laughing after catching her hand and sucking on her fingertips. "I can guess the smug look on your face." She pretended to huff in annoyance, but her sliding closer to my body betrayed her how she really felt.

"Three times, I made you come three times."

The rolling of her eyes could be heard throughout the room. For at least twenty minutes, neither of us said a word, enjoying the quiet together. The silence allowed me to think about things more thoroughly. I almost thought she was asleep before she expressed a concern.

"I think you need to stay in town."

I had thought the same thing, but hated that she agreed. "The couple separating in the middle of a horror or thriller always ends horribly."

"This is real life," she mused, but tapped a heavy beat over my chest. "I get what you're saying though, so why don't I stay?"

I sighed, nodding. "I'd feel better knowing you're somewhere I can see you. If you're up in some cabin, alone, anything can happen. Even if we took turns to stay with you up there."

"Anyone watching you guys could lead them straight to me." She sighed.

I thought of that, too. "We'll still have to take turns on who stays with you, Bella. I can't always, since I have early as fuck mornings some days. Emmett isn't going to be sworn in for another month, so he has time."

"He'll need breaks. I'm a lot to handle." The hint of her pride in her voice made me laugh and slap her sweet ass.

We settled back into the silence for several minutes. "I need to tell him about the house."

I closed my eyes, having predicted this outcome. "You'll still stay in town, right?"

"You don't sound remotely surprised."

Turning to face her, I shrugged. "This house doesn't hold many good memories for you, why would you want to stay? How you feel makes sense to me, but from what Emmett said, he loves it. He remembers your father more than you; to him, the good outweighs the bad shit."

She nodded. "So, know of any fixer-uppers in the area?"

"First, let's see what we can do about the people that may be after us, then we can discuss about a new project."

"Why wait? Life has to go on and I don't want some greedy assholes keeping me from living my life." I tried to protest, but she held up her hand. "I'm not saying we drop the extra precautions, just that life has to go on."

"Okay, I'm listening, let me think." In the end, I agreed with her. We couldn't let someone hold her back. Hadn't others tried that her whole life? "There're a few that I know of and a few real estate companies in town, but I'd go with Leah Clearwater's business."

Her gaze narrowed. "Any particular reason?" Was that jealousy I detected in her eyes?

I looked away and didn't bother to hide my disdain. "The others are kind of sleazy, misogynistic fuckers. I hate working with them and they may try to take advantage of you."

"I'll look into Clearwater's company." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and gave me a look. "You kind of give the impression that there aren't many exes in the area, but I'd like to be sure. If we're really doing this, I'd like to prepare for it."

"There's no fucking _if_ , let's settle that shit right now." I pulled her in for a kiss; the cute, jealous scowl on her lips disappeared under my mouth. "I've never been with anyone from town."

She didn't look surprised, but a little confused. "What changed your usual rules that night in the bar?" The night we met.

"You know I originally planned to ask you out, right? Not the blonde, what did you say her name was?"

"Lauren." She grinned, waggling her eyebrows. "I knew you had eyes on me, but I wanted to make you work for it since you looked like I was a sure thing as you walked up."

"Work for it! Why you…" I rolled over her, tickling her sides and making her giggle. We lost ourselves in each other for the rest of the night, and when we finally settled, I realized she got exactly what she wanted.

She would stay in town while being a prime target for a pair of killers.

.

.

.

* * *

 **Marcus**

"Where the fuck is Alec?" I roared and tossed my glass of whiskey across the room. My men were used to my outbursts in the last couple of weeks after losing my Isabella for good. I had done the unthinkable: invaded her privacy, poked at her most vulnerable spot until I made her bleed. Alec remained by my side, but was still upset with me.

Not that I blamed the man.

Jared or something like that spoke up, "Sir, Alec had to leave for back home."

The last word caught my attention, remembering Alec asked for time off. He hadn't mentioned what he'd do. It wasn't unusual for him to go off for a few days, and usually a gorgeous woman or two accompanied him.

Yet, he rarely went back home. If ever.

 _Isabella._

Was something wrong? Alec would tell me, right? Maybe not.

Isabella was a magnet for trouble since the day I met her. I thought of the pain I caused her and realized that Alec would not tell me. He wouldn't risk me hurting her more. I hated him for that, but in my own way, accepted that Isabella and I could never go back to what was.

I excused the others, including my father who liked to remind me that he had some control. The fool. Ever since Isabella informed me of their betrayal, I did what I could to ensure the organization's men and women were loyal to me, not my parents.

A call to Alec went straight to voicemail, having answered my original question. Isabella was probably in trouble. It took some time, but I found the recording of their last phone call and tracked the source of her trouble.

Seemed that her latest romance had hit a couple of snags. If I couldn't be with her, I wanted her happy. I placed a call to my personal pilot and would meet with this Caius mobster wanna-be in a matter of hours.

One last gift for sweet, lovely Isabella.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks to MC for your help with the chapter. I cut this one short, but the next chapter is written. I can be found on a few social media platforms, the Ericastwilight Fanfiction Group on Facebook, I'm under ericastwilight on Twitter and Instagram (Insta is more personal and crafting stuff). I'd like to thank everyone that's sent prayers and good vibes while I currently struggle through some huge RL drama.**


	16. Missing Person

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen - Missing Person**

Eight days had passed since learning of my ex-wife's death, and the detectives on the case had exhausted all the leads they had, which wasn't much. Alec and I, along with others, were taking turns watching over Bella.

Cabin fever was driving her nuts despite being able to leave the house whenever she wanted. The fact was we were hovering and she hated it. I had to admit to feeling the same. The guys were taking turns watching me, too. Apparently, since I was also a target, I was not allowed to go anywhere alone. Since my relationship with Bella had developed more, they also believed she would thoroughly distract me.

In other words, I hadn't heard her scream my name in days. Keeping her sounds confined to the bedroom was harder than expected. My Beauty was a screamer. And hair puller. And scratcher. And biter.

I shook my head to dispel the memories and concentrate on the task of roofing Mrs. Cope's house. A horn disrupted the silence in the neighborhood as Alec pulled up in Bella's new SUV.

Careful to avoid falling, I met him at the roof's edge near the ladder. He didn't look pleased.

"Is something wrong with Bella?" She was my immediate concern.

"She's still with Tyler today, but I got an interesting call this morning." He made a gesture toward the front door and quirked an eyebrow to see if we were alone.

"It's just us. Jasper is on a lunch run."

"You know you're not supposed to be alone." He rolled his eyes and asked me to come down to talk. Whatever or whomever gave him a call, it had to be bad.

"Give me a few minutes; I have the last row of shingles to do."

He nodded and fiddled with his phone as he waited. Once I was done, I cleaned up on the roof and met him under the porch. He offered me a cold bottle of water from the ice chest in the back of my truck.

As much as I hated that anyone associated with Bella's ex-fiancé was involved, he had offered some damn good advice on keeping Bella as safe as possible. Other than a car that followed her once two days earlier, there hadn't been any incidents.

"What's going on?" I guzzled the water and used the side of the bottle to wipe against my forehead to help cool me down. "The police find something else?"

"Not yet," Alec said cryptically. "One of my boss's men called to inform me that Marcus left for Atlanta seven days ago." Atlanta, where Heidi had run away from and a small-time mobster called all the shots.

My eyes narrowed. "A day after we found out about Heidi's death. That's not a coincidence." I advanced, my finger thrusting against the man's chest. "If he has something to do with all this…"

Alec knocked my hand away and glared at me. Standing nearly eye-to-eye, it was easy to see we were matched perfectly in height and bulk. "Do you seriously think he went after your ex-wife as some kind of revenge over losing Bella for good? He'd rather hit _you_ where it hurts, not someone you're no longer connected to, so back off."

 _Gotcha, motherfucker!_ I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest. "That implies that he's seeking revenge."

"It wouldn't be something undeserved." He shook his head. "He wants her happy, period. You have nothing to worry about, unless you hurt her, of course. Then there's nowhere on this planet that you could hide."

The threat was real and not only from his boss.

I nodded. "Is it possible he found out why you came home?"

"I have no family left here—"

"Wrong, Bella and the others are your family." I didn't like to say that truth aloud, but Bella loved Alec like a brother.

Alec closed his eyes and nodded tersely. "It's possible he looked into my whereabouts and found any recordings of my calls."

"That must suck; no such thing as privacy."

Alec sighed, shaking his head. "You have no idea, but as much of an annoyance as it is, it's helped save my ass a few times. Anyway, Caius hasn't been seen in four days, and a missing person's case has been opened."

"Your boss is smart enough not to get involved."

Alec shrugged. "He has a couple of businesses down there and friends in high places; it's not unusual for him to visit."

"High places? Does that mean someone may have done him a favor?"

"I'm neither acknowledging nor denying your suspicion."

I laughed. "Damn, you almost sound like a politician." That caused Alec to make a face of disgust. "I'm guessing it won't be long until a body is found, giving Bella some peace of mind."

"It would be the only way she would get any."

Again, not implicating his boss in any way.

"If no one is giving orders, what are the chances the assholes that killed my ex will let it go and leave the area for good?"

"If they heard from anyone else about the shit that went down back home, the possibility of a big payout may be too hard to ignore." There were still millions of dollars unaccounted for.

"Fuck! The second Caius is found, they'll act."

"Desperate men will do stupid shit, so yes, I agree with you there." Alec pulled out his cell phone again. "I'm going to talk to Marcus in an hour once he lands in Vegas, I'll be by the house tonight. Call in everyone; we need to decide how we're going to do this."

"All I need is some kind of signal from you once you confirm with him."

He wanted to argue with me, but understood I would need to know if Marcus took care of Caius for _my_ peace of mind.

.

.

.

* * *

After a long, hot day of work, I wanted nothing but a cold beer, a long shower, and to sink into my Beauty. The sound of music filtered through the new sound system we installed since Bella's return home. Something with enough bass to thrum an equally heavy beat through my cock. Whenever she had the music that loud, it meant she was likely dancing as she worked.

I loved when she danced; it was the sexiest thing ever, other than her naked and riding my dick. Dancing usually led to other rigorous activities.

I entered the house through the mud/laundry room to remove my dirty boots and wash up a little at the sink. There was no use calling out to her when it was so damn loud. Not that I minded; maybe a quickie before the guys arrived was in order.

Drying off, I walked out to the front of the house where Tyler's work boots lay outside the archway leading into the family room. They lay in odd angles, as if he was lying on the floor. Still attached to his feet.

Instantly, I went for the gun strapped to my belt at a familiar sound: Bella's whimper.

* * *

 **AN: Dun, dun, DUN! Thanks to MC for the chapter. I'll be posting an update to my new drabble fic The Whispering Woods tomorrow. Still working on chapters for Crosshairs, Perpetual Existence, and the end (don't cry Erica, don't cry) of Incognito. For anyone willing to buy me a coffee so I can write more often at a local cafe, I'll be posting links to Venmo, and Ko-fi on my Twitter profile and can be found on my Facebook page in the About section, or you can send or Starbucks e-gift to my email ericastwilight at gmail dot com. THANK YOU!**


	17. Blood

**Beauty Takes on the Beast**

 **Chapter Seventeen—Blood**

* * *

Sweat broke across my brow, but I beat down the fear before it could hinder my ability to think and assess the situation. I tried not to think of the fact Tyler might be dead because I refused to believe it. Not much could bring a man his size down without the element of surprise.

My cell phone burned a hole in my pocket, along with the panic button Alec gave to all of us. It would alert everyone who had one of trouble with Bella. I pressed it without hesitation, taking no chances with either of our lives. The cavalry would be on the way. Until then, I had to find a way to keep her safe.

Two men crowded Bella near the kitchen island, one pinning down her arms, her mouth gagged with a kitchen towel duct-taped closed. The other was using zip ties around her wrists. Blood pooled around Tyler's neck, but I focused on the fact that they were distracted by Bella.

I pulled back when one of them started to turn to check on Tyler. There was a mirror on a wall and the angle where I stood allowed me to see inside without them noticing me. There appeared to be only two, confirming the police's suspicions of two people involved with my ex's murder. The fucker kicked his head, laughing when Bella cried out in anger.

The kicker's dark blond hair was almost matted with sweat and dirt. They probably hadn't washed in days, laying low. "What is it, sweetheart? You got feelings for this asshole." They laughed and shook her a bit, only increasing the fire in her eyes.

Her anger only made them laugh more, echoing around the kitchen. "Now, let's talk business."

She rolled her eyes, one of her eyebrows quirking. The "are you stupid or what?" look pretty damn clear.

The other grumbled, his bald head reddening along with the tops of his ears. "I don't know who you're involved with, but our boss is missing."

Bella stopped struggling, giving the blond a chance to rip off the duct tape. She screamed, and for a moment, her eyes landed on the stainless-steel refrigerator behind the asshole. Focusing on something for a second.

I realized it was me she could see my reflection on it, at least a blurred image of me. The towel fell from her mouth, then a bratty Bella decided to distract the assholes. She squared her shoulders and gave them a look that would shrivel most men's balls to the size of raisins.

"Can I have some water?"

The men shared a look, both confused, but the blond responded, "Where do you keep your money?"

Bella tapped her throat, pretending to be thirsty. It was then I noticed something else, Tyler's boot twitched.

 _He's alive, thank fuck._

"Don't play dumb." The bald guy grabbed her arm and pulled her off the barstool he had sat her on after securing her wrists.

The blond rolled his eyes, capturing her chin in his grip and forcing her to look at him.

 _Not yet, not yet,_ I told myself _._ The fucker was asking for some serious pain for that shit.

"Stupid bitch, stop stalling and tell us where the fuck the safe is." He dropped his hand from her, but there was no missing how he clenched into a fist.

Preparation for the interrogation.

The bald guy added, "All of you rich assholes have one."

She looked offended, glancing at him. "Not me; I'd become a target if someone thought I had a lot of money just lying around." Then her gaze turned on the blond again. "Funny how you didn't mention the money Heidi stole, why is that?"

He slapped her, making her spit out blood. "Stop stalling, where is the money?"

Before she could answer the other brute did the same shit, but clearly harder. Fuck me, it would give me great pleasure to put a bullet in him.

"She can't answer my question if you hit her before she opens her mouth, Felix," the blond reasoned.

The bald man growled. "What the fuck did I tell you about using my name when we're doing this kind of shit?"

Bella shook head. "Rookie mistake, but let's go back to my question. Were you the one who actually stole the money?"

The blond snorted, rolling his eyes. "Don't pay attention to her, Felix, she's trying to pin us against each other."

"No, you are. I told you no names several times, but you never listen." Felix thrust a thick finger against the other man's chest. "And you were all over Heidi for weeks before she disappeared." He emphasized his next words slowly and with finality. "Is that you were all too happy to volunteer to find and kill her, Demetri Cornelius Martin?"

"What the fuck, asshole!" An enraged Demetri turned to Felix and leveled him a lethal glare. "

Felix shook his head. "If you took the money, not even the fact that you're related to the boss…"

"I didn't take the money, you idiot. But do remember I'm in line to take the fuck over. Now, shut the fuck up and let me handle this."

They each turned to Bella who appeared to be snoozing, pissing them off. Felix yanked her closer to his body, his smile sinister. "Watch it, little girl. You won't get bored once I'm done with you."

Bella stood her ground. "You killed him, what makes you think I'll listen or do anything you ask of me."

Demetri got in her face and hissed, "Money, where is it?"

"In the bank, where else?" She rolled her eyes, earning her a backhanded slap.

The instinct to protect and attack reared its ugly head inside me, but they were facing the doorway and could see me if I moved. They each were armed with a gun, ready to use.

Tyler's hand crept under his own body…to get his weapon?

The men were getting angrier by the second; I had to do something now before they hurt her more.

Bella, sensing the issue I had, found a way to maneuver around them as she explained how she used to have a safe. They no longer faced the doorway.

Stepping forward, I realized there was a small rock embedded in the treads of my boot. I needed more time, so I dug it out and the second Demetri put his gun to Bella's head, I tossed it behind them.

Bella and the assholes all turned to look toward the sound, confusion on two of their faces as they shot blindly in the same direction. My Beauty was trying not to smirk, and started to duck behind the kitchen island.

The next few moments passed in a blur.

I shot Felix in the neck and gun hand, and by the time, he hit the floor, Tyler had stood and held up his own weapon, blood seeping into one of his eyes.

Demetri was fast to realize what was happening, and grabbed Bella by the arm, his gun going off as they struggled. Despite the blood, Tyler's aim remained unaffected, hitting Demetri in the shoulder of his gun hand. Bella started to fall with him, but she rolled to her side as my third shot hit him square in the chest.

It was over before Alec and Emmett barreled through the front door calling out for us. Ignoring them all, I made my way to her; she was the only one who mattered. Tyler responded to our friends as I fell beside Bella, her body curled into a fetal position.

"Baby?"

"Beastie," she whispered, slowly turning and giving me a smile. I recognized the pain in her eyes and my gaze landed on her zipped-tied hands clasping her side. Her eyes rolled, her breathing choppy.

"No!" I pushed her hands away, putting pressure on the wound. "Call an ambulance now!"

The others surrounded us, all wanting to help in some way. "Did the bullet exit the other side?" Alec knelt beside me, apologizing when she winced. "It's clean through and not in the middle, which means her spine is intact. It's not too low or high either."

Meaning what? It didn't matter to me; she was hurting only because we weren't fast enough. I could hear the others indicating that Demetri was dead, but Felix was choking on his own blood. Jasper whispered to him as his eyes finally rolled closed.

"Where the fuck is the ambulance?" I looked at the others, but noticed Emmett was on the phone.

"ETA is one minute." Davis walked in the already full kitchen, followed by three other uniformed police officers. One of which had a head wound, likely one of the men on Bella's protection watch. Alec had been smart enough to give him a device to alert him if Bella was in trouble.

Bella moaned, "There was another one upstairs."

That instantly sent the others on their feet as Davis directed his men toward the stairs.

"It's too much blood!" Alec continued to apply pressure, spitting out instructions.

I held her hand against my chest. "Stay with us, baby." I kissed her forehead, begging her to keep fighting.

Her fingers and arm went limp in my grip, and I screamed for the paramedics still parking outside.

There was no way in hell I was letting my Beauty die.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks to MC for your help the chapter, any mistakes are mine, I tinkered a lot. Action scenes always make me twitchy. Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you and those that sent me coffees, I'm on a roll thanks to all of you. Real-life has been a rollercoaster for months, thanks for sticking by me. I won't make you wait too long for another update.**


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